Coexisistence
by Kakashifan727
Summary: KakashixOC, OOC!Kakashi(maybe) Two opposing worlds. That of the ninja; one of stealth and deception. The other, that of the samurai. One of trust and loyalty. Can the two ever coexist? In a world of strife and bloodshed, an unsuspecting pair will find each other amidst the chaos. Will they find peace, or only despair in this world that cannot accept them?
1. Ch 1

I could hear Naruto's shout of disapproval before I even walked into the building. The blond was raving to Lord Third and Iruka about the selection of missions our team had been given. They weren't anything exciting, certainly nothing like the work I'd had to do at his age, but that was just a product of the times. Konoha being a state of relative peace meant the work was less strenuous. 'Boring' I suppose, but these three needed the experience. Even after three months of simple D-rank missions, the team was still a dysfunctional mess. This was even more apparent as Naruto turned around at the sound of my footsteps, his face scrunched into an expression of frustration.

"You're late again, Sensei! How irresponsible!"

"Well, I was busy escorting an old man and his traveling companion around the village. I must've lost track of the time…" I respond, feeling slightly guilty for telling a half-truth. Naruto just continues pouting, turning his attention once again to the Lord Third.

"Old man, how come _this_ guy is our teacher again? He's a Jounin, but he seems unreliable. He _always_ shows up late, making us wait for _hours_!" He shouts, making me feel hurt and embarrassed. I'm composed enough to not let a small insult like that show on my face, at least. It does ting a little on the inside. I still have some feelings, even though I try to suppress them. It's not like I don't have a good reason for being late all the time…

"Naruto! Kakashi-sensei may be a bit…unorthodox in his teaching methods, but he is still your superior in rank, skill and age! You should show him more respect!" Lord Third rumbles, his grizzly voice holding an air of authority. I offer a bow to the elder man, thankful for his support. The blond frowns, both Sasuke and Sakura staring at him disdainfully.

"Alright, I went overboard. I was just tired of waiting, and these D-rank missions are booooriiiing! Sorry, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto comments.

"It's fine…I was wondering when you'd have one of your outbursts again. You always get worked up over something, it seems," I joke, trying to ease some of the tension. It was another half-truth; Naruto's outburst still stung a little. _This kid…He has no manners. It should be expected, considering how he was raised…Another thing I screwed up…_ I think, briefly remembering the time between the Nine-Tails attack and Naruto's birth. It was a complicated situation, with the death of Lord Fourth and many of our ninja, along with the suspicion cast upon the Uchiha for their 'sudden' absence during the attack. Losing both Obito and Minato-sensei, along with Rin soon after, in such a short time span…It wasn't a pleasant time. I don't remember too much of those years, though I do remember burying myself in missions for the Anbu. I had to make up somehow for my failure, and helping the village was the only way I could think of. I don't even remember seeing Naruto at all. By the time I knew it, he was able to take care of himself. Besides, I was an emotional wreck then and could barely take care of myself let alone a growing child. A shout from Naruto brings me back to the present, alert.

"Wow! A real C-rank mission. Do you mean it, old man?" The blond shouts, making me shake my head. _What did we just tell you about respect? A C-rank…It might be a good change of pace; for both them and me._

"It's quite a simple job, really. All you have to do is protect a bridge builder from thugs on his way home to the Wave Country. He also needs protection while finishing up the bridge, but I doubt anything will happen," Lord Third summarizes for us. Doesn't sound too bad for a C-rank. If it keeps this knucklehead quiet I'm all for it. I walk up to Lord Third and take the scroll from his hand, wanting to check it over myself. Just a simple escort mission. Then again, looking back at our previous D-ranks, nothing with these three is ever simple.

"Fine. We'll take it," I respond, Naruto letting out a cheerful yell a few feet away. He must be more excited than I thought. Now all we have to do is wait for the client to show up.

"Yeah, this is gonna be great! When do we get going?" Naruto shouts, his voice loud with excitement. Sakura only sighs, Sasuke folding his arms across his body.

"We have to wait for them, idiot. We can't go anywhere without the client, after all."

"I know that, jerk! I was only thinking about if we need to pack stuff." Naruto responds, Sasuke's taunt inciting him even more. These two just won't stop, will they? Naruto usually starts the arguments. They do bring up a valid point; we will be gone from Konoha for quite a while. At least a few days to get there, then however long the client takes to complete his bridge. Maybe a month at best for the whole trip, I suppose. A creaking noise from the east breaks me out of my contemplation, and all six of us turn to see who has opened the door.

An old man half-staggers into the room, his cheeks flushed red and pupils dilated-clear signs of intoxication. Not to mention he's clearly holding a half-empty bottle of alcohol. Another smaller figure enters behind him, a distinct thumping noise accompanying their footsteps. A gloved hand quickly grabs the older man by the shoulder, the latter almost falling over from his intoxication. I notice that they are wearing gauntlets, though the armor seems dinged up from use and age. Another thing is one of the fingers of the glove is loose, flapping about while the others are tightly gripped onto the man's shoulder.

"Geez…Tazuna-san, why are you inebriated so early in the day? This isn't making a good first impression to our…eh…contractors." A rough voice complains, Tazuna sneering and turning his head their way.

"Don't lecture me, kid! I can drink if I want. Besides, after all the shit we've been through, I believe I deserve a break!" The man called Tazuna rumbles, his words slightly slurred. The figure in back just sighs, letting go of the old man and slowly walking forward. The reason for their slow gait was easily apparent as they entered into the room. Their right hand was limp at their side, a small stick used as a makeshift crutch thumping against the wooden floor with every step. A flicker of recognition shot across their helmeted face, their eye shadowy yet visible under the samurai helm they wore. This was the odd pair I had helped earlier. I don't always make excuses; sometimes I do have reasons for being late. This as one of them. The helmet wobbled every few steps, as if it was not adjusted properly, and almost slid off their head as they shifted into a deep bow. Even while bowing, their bent head was not too close to the ground, a telling sign this person was short. Probably a young woman, guessing by the sound of their voice, muffled though it was in that helm.

"Erm…I apologize for this…disruption. Tazuna-san seems to get rowdy after a few drinks, and I was not with him the whole time. I had personal matters to attend to, and figured it would be best if we met up later…" She said, straightening their posture so that they were fully upright once more. Clearing her throat, she started to speak again,

"Right. Tazuna-san had previously sent a request in to your village asking for assistance. We are here to…ah…discuss that request, if possible."

"Oh, oh! Are you the bridge builder we were hired to protect? This old guy seems a little mean. I hope it's not him…" Naruto comments, the last of his words whispered so that our clients could not hear them. I just sighed.

"Yes…So the four of you are to be our escorts? Well…em…" The young woman muttered, Tazuna glaring at them, then turning his glazed stare over at our team.

"What? You mean _kids_ are going to guard me? I guess they let anyone become ninja these days…" The old man grumbled, his partner only letting out a deep sigh and shaking their head.

"Whaddya mean 'kids'? Screw this guy!" Naruto shouts, clenching his fist as if he meant to strike the man. I noticed his muscles tense as the brat tried to lunge at the old man. Naruto has a bad temper, just like his mother. I shudder when I remember the few times I saw Kushina take her anger out on Sensei. That was quite something. I see a flash of black as I reach out to grab Naruto by the collar, the blond already throwing out a punch in our client's direction. I didn't bother reacting to the strike, as I could see its arc easily and knew it wasn't anywhere near fatal or even harmful. It was just for show, though it did impress me that she could move that fast while injured.

The upside-down tip of a black scabbard was only a few inches from Naruto's forehead protector. _I see…_ Naruto reacted as I figured, his face turning pale as his eyes widened at the empty sheath pointed at his head. Even if it had hit him, it would have done nothing to the metal on his forehead protector, as it honestly wasn't being swung that fast. For someone like Naruto, with little battle experience and training in speed, the sheath probably looked like it was attempting to skewer him in two. He had no clue it was empty. Of course, Naruto accused the woman of doing just that as I let go of his white collar.

"Hey, watch it! You coulda killed me!"

The woman only responds by putting the sheath back into its strapped holster on her hip, the creases of a smirk forming on her bandaged face. She walks up to Naruto with a calm confidence.

"Don't worry. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. That parlor trick was just to shake you up a bit. I do apologize for it, though fear is sometimes the best teacher…"

"…Damn! You freaked me out there. I can't believe we have to protect people like you…" Naruto mutters, the woman shaking her head.

"Then next time, how about you stop acting so impulsively? I saw you going to attack my charge and I did as expected. You did bring that on yourself, you know."

Naruto only responded by grunting, his face starting to turn from pale to red with embarrassment. The woman only responds by offering another deep bow in apology. This is going to be an interesting few weeks indeed…

"Well…We should probably set a time and place to meet. You seem to have things left to do, and we also need to get ready for this trip." I start, ignoring the heated glare Naruto was giving the woman, who didn't even turn to look in his direction. Sasuke and Sakura look at me expectantly, and also with a hint of boredom. They must want to leave as much as I do.

"This mission is going to be at least a month, if not longer due to delays. I'd suggest you pack as much clothing and supplies as you see fit. We're going to meet at the entrance to the village around seven tomorrow morning, so get some rest."


	2. Ch 2

_Hm...Odd. There's been no sign of any rainfall in this area for the past couple weeks or so. There shouldn't be a puddle of water out here in the open like this; I don't like the feeling I'm getting..._ I think, my expression neutral as I pretend not to notice anything out of place. I don't want to worry the others, who were walking behind me while talking and even shouting a bit. Besides, I have a feeling if this was an enemy ambush, they'd probably try to kill me or Tazuna's small bodyguard first. We do look the most dangerous and it would make sense if they were going after the old man. Footsteps to my left grow louder as I turn my head in that direction, unable to see much with my left eye covered. I can hear her before I see her small form pop up next to me, her metal legging clanging as they move about with each step.

"...That puddle...isn't natural, is it? I fear we may be under attack by more than just bandits. Hatake-san, we should prepare for a possible attack by ninjas. Odd though...He never told me about any ninja attacking him," The samurai comments, her voice muffled through her helmet as she speaks. I nod, not wanting to make an overt signs that our enemies may see, and yet I am puzzled by that last statement. _Weren't they traveling companions? Why would Tazuna-san not tell her he was being targeted by ninjas?_ I ponder, my eyes searching for any signs of movement. I could see a flash of black out of the corner of my eye, my body tensing up as I saw two figures appear out of nowhere. I could hear the sound of chains being unfurled, the thin metal jingling as it flew through the air.

"Of course..." I heard the samurai mutter, the small black cloak of the samurai moving in front of me as she bumped against me slightly, her form partly obscured as she unsheathed her blade. _What are you doing? Do you even know the replacement technique?_ I think, watching as the chain began to lash out towards the spot I had been, where the samurai was now. Guilt flooded my stomach as I watched the chains move in slow motion through the air, my body feeling like lead as I roughly pushed her out of the way. She stares at me in shock underneath the helmet, her tiny body easily moved to the side as I feel the metal of the chains start to dig into my legs and arms. It didn't really hurt that much, my fingers more focused on making hand signs to control my chakra. The four behind us make a variety of noises, Naruto and Sakura's yells being the most poignant to my ears.

Our targets have now landed on the ground, their cloaked forms pulling on the chains with renewed ferocity. I can see the shine of metal on their arms, noticing huge clawed gauntlets on each of their opposing hands. Those thing looks dangerous, but I was more focused on the chains trying to rip me apart. The pressure was strong, the rough and jagged metal cutting into my clothes and skin a little. Possibly enough to make small gashes; nothing serious. I release the chakra as I feel them make one last hard tug, feeling something like nausea as my body warps through space; my vision slightly blurry as I blink back the dizziness. Even for an experienced ninja, the replacement technique is a bit disorienting. It takes a moment to realize I am in a tree, my feet on a small branch, luckily one large enough to support my weight without breaking. I look to where I had been, the metal chain still there on the ground, red specks of blood beneath it, the ninja already gone and running towards the kids and old man.

Naruto was pushed to the ground, his black and orange jacket becoming obscured from my line of sight in the trees. The clash of metal against metal rings out as I watch the tiny samurai appear a second later, their sword locked with one of the ninja's claws. I see blood on the ground, the dark stains running down the samurai's back. Naruto can only stare in wonder, his face frozen in an expression of fear as he watches the fight in front of him. Hyakkimaru easily pushes over the man's huge claw using her sword, catching him off guard as she plunges the blade into his arm. He screams, blood gushing out of the wound as she pulls out the blade, it's silver metal now red and slick with it. She wastes no time in swinging her sword again, heavily bringing it down on the man's arm, blood spurting out of the stub and covering her in the crimson liquid. Naruto was also covered in the stuff, his body still trembling as he looked over to his right.

Sasuke was also fighting off one of the demon brothers, dual wielding a pair of kunai. Sakura and the old man were behind him, their faces frozen in fear and awe as they watched the two duke it out. They were honestly doing better than I thought they would, aside from Naruto's uncharacteristic show of fear. He was so gung-ho before, saying that he'd protect the old man from bandits and anything that came near him. I can't really blame him though; the surprise attack caught all of us off guard, and knowing how dense he is, he probably thinks those amateurs killed me. My ears register the sound of metal sliding against metal to my right, and I look toward the sound, watching Sasuke in a deadlock with the clawed ninja. He has lost one of his kunai, the tiny black blade stabbed into the larger man's chest, a small handle poking out of the bloodied wound. This does not stop the larger and more experienced man, his giant claw swiping back and forth at Sasuke, who was unable to jump out of the way to dodge. If he had moved aside, it would have likely meant the man would have continued forward towards Sakura and the old man. She was shaking a bit, her hands unsteadily holding a kunai as she tried her best to protect the old man with her body. I sigh, looking back to Naruto and the small samurai, figuring now was the best time for me to intervene. Their foe was dead on the ground, the silver blade poking through his chest as he bled on the dirt, Hyakkimaru pulling it out with a loud squish. She was still bleeding from the wound she received, though her movements showed no sign she was in pain or even felt it. She was focusing more on Sasuke and Sakura, her tiny steps dashing towards the attacking ninja. _With that wound she's too slow. I'll take care of it now. I've watched long enough._ I think, leaping out from where I was hidden.

I don't want to kill this one; we need someone alive to interrogate. If this was just a random attack, which I'm sure it's not, then I wouldn't bother. The fool was too focused on Sasuke to even see the shuriken I threw, the small stars penetrating him with light puncture wounds. I made sure not to aim for anything vital; mostly attempting to aim for the arm with the metal appendage on it. That thankfully stops his momentum so Sasuke has a better chance to deflect his weak swipe. The black cloaked ninja never even gets the opportunity, as I slam into him with a outstretched fist, my knuckles grazing against his cheekbone as his head sharply turns to the side, blood spurting out of the man's face as his mouth caves in from the blow. He harshly falls on the ground, his body rolling as he cannot regain his balance, before stopping with a sick crack as he slams into the trunk of a small tree. The small samurai looks over to me, her face expressionless as it is covered by the helmet. She walks over to the downed body of the ninja, blood trailing a bit on the ground from the wound on her back.

"He shouldn't pose a problem right now. He's out cold," I state, Hyakkimaru's head wobbling in response as she nods. She is not letting her eyes off of him though, her blade poised to strike him down the moment he shows any signs of moving. I hear a couple small sighs next to me, Sakura looking more calm as she stares at my face. Her tone is harsh as she speaks, however, showing her fear and frustration.

"That was quite scary, Sensei! We thought you'd really died!"

"Really now? Any good ninja should be able to use the replacement technique on the spot if their life is in danger. It may be a basic D-rank technique, but it is essential for certain situations. Not like I was in any danger, of course..." I comment, keeping my tone light and jovial as to ease the tension I felt building. Tazuna-san had lied to us, and possibly his little bodyguard as well, about only needing protection from bandits. Thankfully, everyone is mostly alright, aside from the samurai; the wound on her back troubling me a little. We were mostly covered in a mix of blood and dirt, not surprising considering what we had just been through. Maybe we should rest after all this is over, or at least stop earlier than I had planned to. This was not a good thing. If there were ninja after us, we would want to get as far away from here as possible. More would probably come. Why would he feel the need to hide something important like that? I turn to the old man, his face still wearing that same scared expression.

"We need to talk, Tazuna-san. These were ninja that were after us. Not mere bandits or rouges. They were quite experienced as well; probably Chunin...Now why would ninja attack an old man like yourself, hm?" I state firmly yet calmly, the old man fidgeting as his eyes dart back and forth. After a few seconds, he sighs, looking at the dead ninja that Hyakkimaru had just killed.

"Ok, ok. I might have...mislead you all about the people who were targeting me. Y-you have to understand; our village is small and poor. We can't afford the costs for anything better than this. If I can just get home and finish making that bridge, we'll be able to become more prosperous. Then we can pay you however much you need," He pleads, even going so far as to bow his head to us. He must really need the protection then. I look at Naruto's fear stricken face, Sasuke and the small samurai covered in blood, and I sigh. If it was just me, I could possibly justify continuing with this mission after getting some reinforcement. If only we hadn't traveled so far from the village...I don't want to put the kids at risk, and they've already seen quite a bit from this small encounter. If we come across someone stronger, which I don't doubt will happen, how would they fare then? They could possibly wind up seriously injured, or even dead.

"...Y-you still lied to us, Tazuna-san, Your lie, no matter why you did it, put all of us in danger. These children...they might have been killed. Do you really want that on your conscience? I already feel bad for them; they are clearly not battle ready, judging by their reactions to this encounter. I don't...want to see them get hurt," The small samurai speaks out, her voice trembling a bit as her breathing becomes slightly unsteady. That wound might be worse than we thought; it could even be poisoned. We'll have to check that later, when we have time. I state as much, walking over to Hyakkimaru and our unconscious assailant.

"I would try not to move too much. You've lost enough blood already, Hyakkimaru-san. Plus, their claws and other weapons could have been poisoned. If it circulates through your bloodstream, it will be troublesome to make an antidote."

Her only response is to nod, stepping away from the unconscious man, her movements much less refined and a bit sluggish compared to before. I go over to where they had first attacked us, taking the long length of chain and bringing it with me as I grab the Mist ninja. With little to no effort I easily tie his arms and legs so that he cannot move them, neutralizing him should he happen to wake up. Even if he tries to escape via ninjutsu, we'll cut him down before he can focus any chakra. Good. Now to get back to the matter at hand. This crafty old geezer...He played us all for fools.

"Tch. I have a family to get home to as well, you see. Besides, I only hired the samurai because she was cheap, and needed a place to stay for a spell." The old man retorts, his crude comment causing the samurai to twitch, an imperceptible movement if I wasn't right next to her and still on my guard for any other enemies. He continues talking, ignoring the shocked looks on our faces.

"I don't think you guys understand. I bought you, so you have to help me get home. If you decide to turn tail and run what will happen to me, eh? I would probably die out here, being hunted by ninja, my daughter and grandson left to fend for themselves. Oh I can picture their tear streaked faces, crying as they wonder why I haven't come home, not knowing that I've kicked the bucket because you five abandoned your duty and left an old man to the whims of fate," He laments, his posture slumping slightly as he holds his head in his hands. I hear a growl next to me, the woman looking at the old man with narrowed eyes. I am also angry at him for trying this pathetic tactic, but I just watch as the samurai starts yelling at him.

"You...deceived us. You put the lives...of three innocent children in danger because of your selfish actions. D-do you really expect us to—Nnngh!"

Her statement is cut short by a cry of pain, Hyakkimaru falling down to one knee as her body starts shivering. _Damn it...Her face is starting to look pale, from what I can see. So those claws were probably poisoned. I wonder...if she hadn't defended Naruto how this scenario would have turned out._ I think, kneeling next to the tiny samurai and gently laying a hand on her shoulder. Her crouched form jumps a bit, her face turning to meet mine, her one eye wide with shock and possibly what I think is fear. She instantly leans away from me, her voice higher pitched than usual as she speaks.

"Yes? Please don't touch me...Tch. This wound is nothing. I can take care of myse—nngh!" Her voice cut off by another grunt of pain, one of her hands moving to the bloodied cut underneath her armor. It's a pretty big cut, a couple large gashes that seem to go across her back. I can't really tell due to my position next to her and the fact that her armor and some of her shirt is covering it up. I state as much, my tone firms as I look her in the eye.

"Sorry, I was concerned. That wound looks quite painful, judging by your reactions, and I believe it might be poisoned. I would like to do some emergency first aid to treat it now. If it is poisoned, I'd like to start preparing an antidote for it right away, in case bleeding it out is ineffective." Her only response is to look at me, her face expressionless as she stares at me with her one brown eye. That eye was the only thing betraying her facade of calmness, her black pupil wavering as it focused on mine. My only response is to stare back, my own expression one of concern, though no one could notice. She seem to calm down, her pupil no longer wavering as it locks onto mine, a resolute look on her face.

"...A-alright. I'll trust you, I suppose..." She mutters, her voice soft as she takes off her heavy gauntlets and chestplate along with her small packs full of supplies. Moving the heavy metal and bags aside, she slowly lifts up her shirt, revealing the red and blood covered skin beneath. _Ouch. That is not good._ I think, easily taking some medical supplies out of my small pouch. It wasn't much; just some makeshift sitches, disinfectant and bandages, but it was going to have to do for now. Hearing footsteps behind me, I turn my head, seeing a familiar orange and black jacket come into my view. Naruto's face is pensive as he bends down next to us, his gaze fixed on the gashes on Hyakkimaru's body. His usually cheerful voice is somber as he speaks.

"...I caused this to happen. Dammit! If I wasn't so scared, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. Son of a bitch!" Tears start falling down his face, his body trembling slightly as he moves closer to her. She only sighs, taking off her helmet to show her stern face, looking right at the two of us. She is more focused on Naruto, though I can't help myself from studying her face. Uneven spiky brown hair covers her forehead, the right side of her face covered in a tangled mess of curls that obscures the dirty white of her bandages. Those white strips of cloth only cover her right eye and some of her cheek, the lower half of her face slightly scarred from the cheek to the side of her nose. The left side of her face was not covered at all, black stitches running along part of her forehead, the mess of brown curls hiding most of it from view. Her skin was normal, aside from the scars, and it was not altogether unpleasant to look at. It was kind of adorable the way her spiky curls bobbed in front of her face as she talked to Naruto, her left eye focused on him, never wavering as it met his azure eyes.

"Don't blame yourself for this, kiddo. It was my choice, just like how I tried to save your master there. I'd do it again, if it meant you not getting hurt. Besides...don't you want to be Hokage?" Naruto only blinked at her remark, her tone slightly different from its usual sternness. Her manner of speaking had changed a bit too, more soft and familiar. I think back to when we first encountered the Mist ninja, the two brandishing twin chains in an effort to slice one of us to pieces. At the time, I was more surprised when she attempted to push me away. She continues speaking, causing me to focus my attention on her once again.

"Someone in this line of business...shouldn't be so innocent and softhearted. It will be the death of you, boy. Whether samurai or ninja, this job requires that we kill our own hearts in order to be useful. I'm sorry that my ineffectiveness lead to you discovering this truth now, rather than later." She laments, her blood covered hand reaching out to touch Naruto on the cheek, the crimson liquid staining one of his tiny whiskers. Something resonates within me at hearing her say that, similar feelings of guilt welling up within me. Though I do understand that this was not all our fault, my gaze moving for a moment to the old man, who was off minding his own business. Sasuke and Sakura were a few feet away, the latter trying to start a conversation with the uninterested boy. I notice Naruto looking at me, then at the medical supplies scattered on the ground that I was getting ready to use.

"Sensei...I-is there any way I can help?" Naruto asks, his voice full of genuine sincerity and concern. I pause to think for a moment, then shake my head. He doesn't have the experience to manage this kind of thing. None of them do really; even if they were taught about it during their training at the ninja academy. I'd like to let him help somehow though...

"I'd rather do this by myself Naruto. I know you feel responsible, and I understand you want to help, but the best thing you can do right now is to step back and let me take care of this," I respond, Naruto nodding as he moves a couple inches away from us.

"I can do this on my own, you understand. I don't-" Hyakkimaru starts, her free hand reaching to grab the small bottle of disinfectant. My own hand reaches down to grab her wrist in an attempt to stop her from moving, but I wind up holding her hand instead. It is wet and sticky with blood, though her slim fingers are soft to the touch. Her hand is small and smooth, though not without a few callouses; quite the contrast to my larger and worn hand. I could probably cup her hand inside my own, it was so small. I quickly let go of her hand, feeling my face flush with heat for some reason. I ignore this odd feeling, narrowing my eyes as I stare at her shocked face, my tone somewhat harsh as I speak.

"Can you really take care of this on your own? The wound is quite large and deep, and most likely poisoned. Plus, you won't be able to reach it with those tiny hands of yours, seeing as it's on your back. You won't be able to do a good job of treating it. Please just let me handle it, alright?"

"Fine, fine. Sorry. I told you I'm not super great with physical contact. I don't like it; it makes me feel...odd. Let's just get this over with," She states, her own face a slight shade of red as well. _I see..._ I think, ignoring the multitude of questions that pop up in my head. I'm not going to pry. Everyone has their own quirks. Taking a kunai I carefully run it along the bloodied cuts one more time, hoping to bleed out the poison. I wince as I run the blade along her back, the skin ripping and tearing as it opens even wider, becoming red and inflamed. Something akin to nausea settles in my stomach as I watch the wounds bleed out further, using a cloth to catch the blood before it bleeds onto more of her clothing or armor. It looks painful, yet she has not moved an inch, despite her odd jerking earlier when I touched her.

True to her word, she trusts me completely with this. This technique doesn't always work, but I'm hoping this will at least stall the spread of the poison if not stem it completely. I grab another small cloth from my pouch, gently coating it with some disinfectant. I eye the bloody cuts one more time, making sure to be gentle as I dab it on the wounds. The only reaction I get from her is the inhaling of breath and tensing of her body as her back tightens up. Putting the bloody cloth on the ground, I grab the needle and thread, stitching the large cuts together as best I can. I do notice that there are more odd scars on her back like the one on her face, but much smaller and more numerous than the large one that is probably covering the right side of her face. They don't have anything to do with the large gash on her back, so I attempt to ignore them as I finish up the impromptu stitching, cutting the thread with a kunai. The flesh is still red and puffy around the stitches, there's nothing we can do about that now. I start to unroll the bandages, running the fabric along her torso and back several times, my hands feeling more of the same odd stitches and a couple scars on her abdomen. It honestly doesn't faze me that much; I myself have similar scars and scrapes, from back when I was in the Anbu Black Ops. Sometimes they just leave scars. The physical scars are nothing, however, compared to the mental anguish one can go through in this line of work. _That's why I had hoped this was an easy job; so that those kids would not have to see the horrors of reality so soon. The tiny samurai seems to share my sentiment slightly, based on what she said to Naruto earlier._ I finish wrapping the cloth bandages, noticing that they are slightly pink where the wound is. Of course it's going to bleed out a bit; I'm no medic and my fingers feel clumsier than usual. Finishing my work with a sigh, I slowly start to stand up, Hyakkimaru looking at me with an odd expression. She must be concerned about the wounds.

"I did the best I could. The poison should be no problem now; though we should watch for any further symptoms. Just be careful and don't overexert yourself. They might open up again," I comment, watching as she pulls down her shirt and tucks it into her hakama. The armor followed soon after, the metal still covered in blood as it shone in the sunlight. We should probably make camp sooner than later. She only gives me a small bow, her face once again expressionless, though still tinted with that odd shade of red around the cheeks. I ignore it, and the odd feeling in my stomach as I pack up my things from my pouch and start walking away.

I look back at the sound of slowing footsteps, turning my head a bit to my left. Everyone is walking behind me, the kids and old man looking more the worse for wear. _We've been going long enough; now seems a good time to camp for the day._ I muse, seeing as everyone looks to be out of stamina. I can see it on their tired faces, their steps slowing the more we go on. I myself also feel a bit tired, not to mention in need of a good bath. We're all still covered in blood from our earlier encounter, prudence dictating that we leave before any more enemies show up. We need a quick break both physically and mentally after today. The only one who seemed to be fine was the samurai, her small legs stomping one after the other as she walked on despite her injuries.

"Alright," I start to say, stopping where I was standing and fully turning to the group. They all look at me, Naruto and Sakura's eyes locking onto mine pleadingly.

"We've done enough walking for the day. No ninja should be catching up with us now. Besides, it's still quite a long ways to that boat service that will take us into Wave proper. For now, we should rest and relax. Just let me look for a place to rest and bathe; we need to start washing the blood off of our clothes. It would do no good to appear like this in a civilized place." I state, the others nodding at me, only Sasuke and the samurai walking forward a bit at my announcement.

"I would like to assist in this search, if I may." The samurai pleads, my expression one of shock underneath my cloth mask. Why? She's still quite injured and should be moving too much. I'm surprised she even offered.

"Not in the condition you're in. Sasuke you come and help search as well." I reply, my tone stern as the samurai's armor jingles in protest as she moves forward. A shout from the back of the group makes me stop, Naruto's loud yell stopping me in my tracks.

"Hey! I can help with this, y'know." He shouts, making a hand sign as he molds chakra. So impulsive. Well, his clones would be a help in this matter, I don't mind. He probably feels he needs to make up for earlier today. The two orange wearing clones jump out toward the tree thickets in opposite directions before I can say anything.

"Well...thanks to Naruto being Naruto, I guess that you can keep guard on the old man." I state plainly, my hands held up in a gesture of exhaustion. _Really, that idiot. Ah well._ I think, watching as Sakura and Hyakkimaru both cover the old man on opposite sides. I leap into the trees at this, scanning for anything that could serve as a small clearing or river. We don't have much choice at the moment to be picky about location. All I can make out is the tops and trunks of trees, nothing to indicate the source of a river anywhere nearby. Hearing a loud shout, I focus my senses that way, quickly finding an orange clad Naruto wearing an excited expression.

"Oh! Is this it?" The blond shouts, pointing toward a small crevice of rocks, water flowing out from a small crack in its formation. I nod, giving the clone a small pat on the head, just like Minato-sensei would do to us when we were on his team. The clone smirks, both of us following the trail of trickling water. After a few minutes we do indeed come upon a small creek, large enough for us to take a small bath if we went in tiny groups. There was no way the women in our group would bathe together with us, no matter how much the perverted part of my mind wanted it. They probably have go further downstream. Sasuke appeared out of a small space of trees soon after, his face expressionless as he pointed to a thicket of trees deeper out.

"There's a small clearing there. We should be good then, seeing as somehow you and that dork found the river." He states, the odd feeling of chakra dispersing in the air as Naruto disappears. So it was a shadow clone. Must be relaying the information to the original then, I think my ears picking up the sound of movement. The five of them appear a few minutes after, Naruto miraculously leading the way. He had a beaming smile on his face, his blue eyes glittering in the slowly deepening sunset.

"Ok. Everything seems to be taken care of; now we just need to start a fire and wash up." I state much to the relief of everyone around me, myself included. "Still," I add, causing everyone to pause. "We will need to keep watch in case of a possible attack." My eye shifting over to Tazuna as I say this, the old man nervously staring back at me as he looks at the five of us.

"I'll explain everything, just give me some time to eat and rest, hm?" He grouches, his tone still quite stern like a parent berating their child. I sigh, not really sure what to make of this man.

"Fine. I'm holding you to that." I say as I walk towards the clearing Sasuke pointed out. The rest of the group easily fell into step behind me and we began to unload our heavy bags off of our backs. It takes us no time at all to set up a small fire pit, our sleeping bags with our backpacks placed in a seemingly random order. I did notice however, that Naruto tried to put his next to Sakura while the latter was more focused on getting closer to Sasuke. I smile in spite of everything else going on, their immature antics a breath of fresh air from our crazy day. If they can act like this, then today might not have been as traumatic as I had feared. I do notice that Tazuna and the female samurai put their bags closer to mine, the latter keeping it quite far away from either of us. Makes sense.

"Hey, hey...you guuys," Naruto whispered, a sly grin on his whiskered face. I already did not like where this was going, my gaze turning to the naked teen. His skin was tan, devoid of any scars, unlike my own unclothed body. Thankfully I was in the middle of washing my face, a cloth covering it as I rubbed it against my skin. My eyes narrowed as I watched Naruto move closer to us, Sasuke making one of his usual tutting noises at the blond.

"What do you want, idiot? I'm trying to bathe here," He responds coldly, Naruto ignoring him to move closer to me. I wince, not liking his proximity; our naked bodies were quite close. I just stare at him, that impish grin of his never leaving his face.

"What is it?" I ask, Naruto pointing to where the girls were supposedly washing themselves,quite a ways away. _Oh no._ I think, mentally sighing as I understand what he is getting at. That perverted kid wants to go peep on Sakura and Hyakkimaru doesn't he? That would be stupid. And bad news if they found out. _If they found out._ I muse, an odd nausea in my stomach as I think this. I can't deny the appeal of it, but something about it also seems dishonest. _That's part of the thrill idiot._ Not wanting to be caught doing something you shouldn't. Besides, I know Naruto only really wanted to look at Sakura anyway, and personally I had no interest in that. She was okay looking, but underage, and had an odd thing going for Sasuke anyway. She likely wouldn't give him the time of day. Naruto's warm breath against my ear nearly made me jump, whispering something so that only I could hear, even though Sasuke was right next to us. Goddammit Naruto, too close!

"Sensei, you want to see _her_ body too, right?" Naruto asks, my face heating up as I clearly know who he is talking about. _Not_ too _, Naruto. That's really all I want to see._ I honestly could give less of a damn about Sakura. I don't need people calling me a pedofile as well as closet pervert. I imagine her curls falling in front of her face, the wet locks still covering her bandaged eye, her wet body exposed right in front of me; my own naked form hiding behind a tree or some shrubbery as I try to stay out of view while taking quick glances. I can't deny it made something in me tremor with excitement; whether that was my libido or something else I can't tell at the moment. I shake my head, denying that darker part of myself any more pull for right now, as I turn to Naruto with a stern face.

"N-no, what are you talking about? That's..." I start to say, Naruto quickly moving away from me to bug Sasuke. Good. I can regain some of my composure. I ignore the idiot's yammering to watch Tazuna dry himself off, being careful to not stare at the man too long. I wish I could just go and read my book; I wonder how far Junko and the main hero are getting along right now? Last I remember, things were steaming up quite a bit between the two. I wanted to get back to that, instead of watching over this old man and these naked idiots. I can nearly imagine myself in the place of the main character, my hands carefully holding the main heroine around the waist as I leaned into kiss her. Only for a moment, I see Hyakkimaru's face staring at me as I press my lips into hers. She makes a weak moan, her voice softer than I remember, her one brown eye widening with shock as I press into her with my full body. I feel a heat rise up to my face, quickly blinking a few times to get that odd image out of my head. _Oh god...Now I'm involving her in my re-imaginings..._ I think, my face expressionless as I watch Tazuna get dressed, the old man staring at me with an odd look on his face. That look turns to one of astonishment as he pulls a small carafe out of his pocket, the thing obviously filled with alcohol.

"Whaddaya want? I'm just gonna lay here and drink for a bit; don't mind me," He says, uncorking the bottle and taking a deep swig of the stuff. I nod, responding as cordially as I can.

"That's fine. Just be careful and don't get too drunk, alright?" He waves me off, and odd smirk on his face and I turn around, only to see that the two teenage boys are missing. Great. I didn't want to get involved in this, but I guess I have no choice now. I walk through the small river carefully, my bare feet acutely feeling the blades of grass between my toes. I calmly walk in the direction I think they went, the night air against my wet body making me shiver a bit, every hair perking up at the unwanted chill. There's not time to get dressed now; not if I want to find those idiots. Besides, I'm pretty far along the creek now and I see the trees becoming more frequent as I walk along. It takes a another minute or two before I finally spot their crouching figures, hiding behind a couple ricks covered by brush. Naruto's head is peeking over one of the grey rocks, Sasuke just sitting there naked with his arms crossed in front of him. He doesn't look very happy, but his face is red with embarrassment, I notice as I crouch closer to them. I move next to the Uchiha, the black haired teen only giving me a harrowing look as he scoffs.

"So you came too, eh? Perverted idiots." I internally laugh at his remark, noting how his face turned bright red as he said that. He must be enjoying this more than he's letting on. The rock feels cool as I lean against it, barely peeking my head over the top of the smooth surface, my body sliding against its slick surface. Peering over the rock, I only see Sakura's small form, her long pink hair covering most of her nude back. I feel a chill go down my spine, my eye quickly searching for someone else and finding nothing. She's not here. Odd. I thought they'd be bathing together, like we were. My mind flashes back to how she reacted when I touched her earlier today, with clothes on no less. She probably wanted to bathe by herself. _Fine by me._ I think, Sakura's lamenting voice making me focus on her.

"That's too bad Hyakki-san didn't want to bathe together. I really, really wanted to see her face, and under those bandages of hers too. So mysterious, kinda like Sensei too...hmm..." she stops talking, the sound of water splashing making me perk my ears to hear anything more as I move back from the rock, my visual reconnaissance over. My mood drops at hearing this, causing me to lose interest. After a few seconds of nothing but the sound of water and Sakura doing whatever, I look towards the two teenagers, Sasuke now taking my place behind the rock. I didn't think he was that interested; better this than focusing on revenge I suppose. I slowly creep away from the rocks, Naruto staring at me with a knowing look on his face. I feel my face heat up as the blond gives me a thumbs up, my stomach tingling with that heat again.

I just sneak away from the two, my naked body shivering from being out in the cold for a while. Moving up against that rock doesn't seem to have helped my body temperature either. I ignore the cold moving through my skin as I half-crouch half-walk further up the river's shore, my curiosity getting the better of me. It only takes me a few more minutes of regular walking to hear the splash of water, my body tightening up as I feel knots in my stomach. I quickly move into some bushes, both to get closer and to hide my presence from her. She doesn't appear to me notice me, her sitting back facing me as she wraps bandages around her right arm. I see something out of place, like the sheen of a metallic weapon as I notice that she is still quite dirty. Unlike Sakura, who was mostly pristine, she was still caked with blood and grime, aside from the bandages on her arm. She's taking quite a while to take simple bath; maybe she's just taking her time because of her injuries. Fine by me. She sighs, her body turning my way a bit as she moves her head a little. I can see that the bandages on her face have been changed, as well as the ones on her back. So she did it all on her own, then. I quietly move a bit closer, being careful not to make to much noise as I sidle up against a tree pretty near to her position. The hard bark does feel uncomfortable as I rub up against it, being careful not to injure myself. It is more sensitive down there but not painfully so, and I just focus on getting glimpses of the small samurai. I can see her well from here enough to make out more of her unclothed body, and I don't think she can see me, my body hidden completely by the tree. _Perfect. Now to just be careful and not get caught._

"...Today was such a downer," She mutters, her voice quiet as she talks to herself. If I wasn't so close I doubt I could make it out, my ears straining to hear her over the sound of the splashing water as she takes a small cloth and rubs herself down. I watch as the cloth glides over her left thigh, her back bending forward to reach down her calf. I notice more of the odd black stitches on her back, some larger than others, as well as a small patch of scarred skin on her right side. It wasn't a big scar, certainly smaller than the one I have on my left eye but I did notice that it wrapped around to her stomach, curving around the side of her rib cage. It didn't detract from her body too much, her skin quite nice looking in the faint light. I admit I was more focused on the other part of her body that she offered me an unknowing glimpse of; her large and curvy ass, jiggling a little as she bent over to wash her foot. It was pretty round, and I could easily imagine going up right behind her and grabbing it with my hands. I do notice the odd white of bandages on her right leg, making me curious as I to why the leg is bandaged and as well. Did she injure herself that badly from before she came here? I try to focus more on if she is talking, my ears straining to hear.

"I messed up big today. First getting myself injured and having to be looked after by Hatake-san. At least I protected the loudmouth I guess, so it wasn't all bad. Still..." She laments, dipping her dirty cloth in the river to clean it. My body tingled at the mention of my name, the use of the honorific making me feel self-conscious. I didn't really do much, just helped someone who was in trouble as far as I see it. How does she interpret these events? Differently than I do probably.

"He even touched me on the bare skin hands were quite gentle, hehe. Ah...stop it, stop it. I shouldn't even go there." Her voice broke its normal facade of calmness at this moment, reverting to a higher pitch as she let out something that sounded to me like a small gasp. I felt a familiar heat settle at the bottom of my stomach, running its way through my entire body. Once again I imagined holding her in my arms; our body heat mingling together as we pressed up against each other in a passionate embrace. I hear her body shuffle as it moves against the grass, her footsteps coming closer as she finds her small bag, her casual clothes draped over a rock a couple feet away. I feel a cold chill run down my nude body, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. Thankfully she can't hear it.

"Honestly, he's not that bad looking either. Haha, then again I am only going by what I imagine him to look like...Oooh, with that deep husky voice of his and his pretty opal eye...Damn it, I sound like some sick pervert or something. But when he looked at me with that tense gaze..." She stops talking, my body heating up from her words. I hear her sniffle, daring myself to peek out to watch her. An odd smirk is on her face, her pale cheeks flushed red as I notice blood dripping out of her nose. _Oh, I got you...You tiny pervert. What am I saying? I'm the one being a pervert here; spying on her while she's vulnerable. Still, it feels kind of nice to hear someone say those kinds of things about me. Bet she wouldn't say this unless she thought she was really alone._ I muse, watching her pull a small stone out of her bag. A whetstone; the kind used to sharpen swords. She's going to do that, while naked? Isn't that a bit dangerous? I just stay there and watch her, my eye focused on her nice tits. They jiggle as she gets up, and I can't help averting my embarrassed gaze a bit.

That proves to be a bad idea as I wind up staring at her frontal nether regions, my covered face wearing an expression of surprise. I can't really see her privates, her curly tuft of pubic hair guarding them from my view. I internally curse, my fingers digging against the bark of the tree. It makes the tiniest scraping sound as I do it, not caring that I'm getting myself more dirty. I'm already slightly unclean from waking barefoot in the wet dirt, my feet blackened a bit.

"Hm? Did I hear something just now?" Hyakkimaru comments, my heart nearly stopping in my chest as I realize she's talking about me. She must have good hearing if she can notice me. Or she could be mistaking me for an animal. For my pounding heart's sake, I pray it's the latter. Though I do feel a rush of adrenaline at the thought of her spotting me. I imagine her stern face wearing a shocked expression, quickly changing to one of embarrassment as she tries to hide herself from me. I hear her footsteps move closer to my position, fear shooting through me for just a second. My mouth is dry, my tongue stuck to the bottom of my mouth. I'm not thirsty but I could use some water right now. Every single nerve on my body is acutely aware of my surroundings, every hair tingling as I press my naked self closer against the hard tree bark. I pray this is enough to conceal my trembling form, my eyes darting down at the odd feeling in my groin. I had attempted to control my urges, but they seemed to have exploded on their own into something I can no longer control. _Oh shit. Not now, not now. This really bad!_ I curse, staring at the part of my body that was giving me grief; my hard erect dick, a clear giveaway that stood out quite a few inches in front of me. I hastily attempt to cover it with my hands, but it's useless as I can't return it to its proper position because of the flow of blood causing it to harden. Sweat beads on my forehead, my ears perking up as I hear her move closer to the tree, my heart beating so loud it echoes in my eardrums. She just calmly grabs her sheathed blade and lays it against the tree, the small rock right beside it. The tiny samurai easily walks back to the river, grabbing her cleaned cloth and rubbing her stomach with it. I let out the tiniest breath I can, exhaling all of the tension out of my body. Or at least most of it, staring at my erect cock. I can't take care of this now; not unless I want to risk getting caught. I feel her staring at the spot where I am again, her voice loud and firm as it holds no trace of the meekness it had before.

"There's someone there, isn't there? I can hear you, you weirdo," She comments, her hand still focused on rubbing down her stomach with the cloth. Her boobs jiggle as she does, the two twin peaks moving clearer into my field of vision. It makes my erect cock pulse with libido. I don't dare move. She might be bluffing, but I am not so sure. She sighs, her tone stern as she speaks again.

"I'm going to punish you for this, whoever you are. I don't understand why you'd waste your time peeping on someone as ugly as me though. This body isn't a thing to be admired," she laments, her voice sounding almost despondent at that last remark. I feel a flash of guilt run through me, as well as a tinge of pity. She must be talking about her bandaged face and body. Even though I didn't really see under the bandages, she looked fine to me, if maybe a bit rough around the edges. That can't be helped; she's probably gotten in her fair share of scrapes as well. It's no wonder her body has some scars on it, though I admit I'm more curious about her black marks. Those look like older scars, and there's probably a history there. I won't ask about it; now or later. That would reveal to her that I'm the perverted bastard who's spying on her. She probably has an idea, but I'm not going to throw myself out there.

I just watch as she srcubs herself down, my own body growing cold from the chill night air. This really isn't a good place for me to be right now. How long has it been since I split up with the boys? Probably fifteen minutes, or maybe less. I won't move however, as I know Hyakkimaru is probably on her guard right now. She keeps glancing toward the spot where I am, her naked body clearly visible to me now. I just stare at her, painfully attempting to ignore my throbbing dick as it protests in my hands. I'd love to alleviate myself of this problem but there's no way I can at the moment.

So I watch her naked body, every movement enticing to me as it is illuminated by the light of the moon and hidden by the shade of the night. She finishes up washing herself in the next ten minutes, a small towel wrapped around her body as she rubs herself dry. I enjoy the movements of her ass and tits, bouncing to and fro as she rubs the water out of her body. I shiver once again in the night air, the tree cold as it has finished transferring all of it's heat to me. I'm still quite wet myself, my hair plastered to my forehead in long silver locks. It's much more manageable when I'm wearing my hitai-ate. I take a glimpse of the tiny samurai, my field of view offering me one last good look at her round ass before she covers it up with a pair of white undergarments. _Aw, that's too bad..._ I lament, my eyes focusing on her body while she takes something out of her bag. It's a roll of bandages, which leaves me confused for a moment before I watch her wrap them around her large tits, the two mounds considerably decreasing in size the more she goes. She takes a deep breath, her breasts once again covered by a ordinary bra. So that's why they looked so small while she has armor on. Must be a pain to fight with those things getting in the way. She easily gets dressed in more casual attire, stuffing her armor in her bag before moving over to where she laid the sword and whetstone. She's just wearing a simple shirt and long pants, probably to cover up her bandaged leg, but it still looks nice on her.

Another pang of lust and fear hits me as I watch her sit down right across from me, her sword in one hand. I could reach out and touch her on the shoulder she was so close. I don't bother, my body trembling from being so cold and wet. She completely ignores me busy scraping the side of her blade against the whetstone. She does this for a couple minutes, before holding the blade up to the moonlight and nodding. I mentally moan as I realize she is not done, quickly turning over the blade so it's on the opposite side. She begins the pattern again, my body growing miserable from being out in the cold for so long. I want to just leave and grab my clothes, but every time I attempt to move, her face turns my way. It's almost as if she's saying no to me. She has to know someone is there by now, she has to. If she does though, she makes no move of revealing it, her gaze wary as she puts away her sword and whetstone back into her bag. I feel my face flush with shame, my body heating up a bit from my lustful thoughts as my dick once again reminds me it needs immediate attention. She takes her time making sure she has gathered all of her things, calmly beginning to walk back the way to our camp. I let out a small sigh, finally glad that she is gone. I just want to go get dressed and go to bed. I'm tired and today has been physically, mentally and emotionally draining. Just in case, I wait a few more moments before I look down at my pulsating cock, gingerly grabbing the shaft with my lukewarm hands. I don't want anyone to see me do this, ironically.

It takes a few minutes for me to get into a good rhythm, my body heating up as I feel the waves of pleasure run through me. It ends soon after as I calmly walk to the riverside where Hyakkimaru was bathing, bending down to clean myself off. Taking off the makeshift cloth I used to hide my face, I gingerly begin tending to myself. I clean my body thoroughly not wanting to leave any trace of the activity, quickly getting rid of the dirty rag to hide any evidence. Giving myself a quick shake to dry off, I calmly and quietly head back toward the other end of the river. The two boys, and Sakura for that matter are no longer here, the place empty as it is quite late now. Of course they would be, I muse watching as the moon is high in the sky, the cool night breeze making me shiver a bit. It is spring but we are still on the last vestiges of winter, so the air can get a bit chilly. I stop for a few seconds to watch the moon, thankful for its illumination tonight for a variety of reasons. It takes me a bit to walk back to where we were bathing, thanks to the darkness of the trees and my unfamiliarity with the area. Of course no one else is there now, even Tazuna probably gone back to camp to rest. The area is empty, completely void of any human presence, the only sound the river and the trees in the wind. Something about this seems off to me as I walk toward the area I thought I had left my things. _At least my things_ should _be here..._ I think, my eye scanning the area for any trace of my clothes or bag. Nothing. Confusion settles in as I wonder where my stuff has gone. It can't be bandits; we'd made sure to cover our tracks quite well before setting up camp. My mind instantly races back to Naruto, his face wearing one of his mischievous grins. Could he have done it? It's possible, but I also carefully walk around the small clearing , trying to find any hint of where my things could have gone. I didn't find much, aside from the small hint of disturbed ground near where I left my things.

My body freezes as I hear Naruto's laughter above me, his voice echoing from atop the trees. Of course it was him; this kind of prank wouldn't be so out of place for him, I guess.

"Hahaha! You look like such an idiot, Sensei. This prank was totally worth it," He shouts with that high pitched voice of his, his lithe body jumping across the trees, my view of him partly obscured. I stay on the ground, not really wanting to run across the treetops exposed like this; I'd rather not anyone else see me in this pathetic state. I could use a transformation technique, but Naruto is getting farther away from me by the second, and that would waste energy and time. I can catch him easily, I tell myself, as I follow his tiny form with my eyes. It might be because of our distance, but he seems smaller than usual. I start to become agitated, my brows narrowing as I dash after him into the dark forest, being careful not to run into any tough bushes or brambles. That would _hurt_. He seems to be a bit slower than usual, probably because we are all tired. I'm not running as fast as I want to either, my eye also scanning for any other traps he may have set. I just follow his taunting voice, trying to keep a good eye on him. Honestly, I don't know why I'm attempting to play along. It's not really worth the aggravation, but I don't feel like wasting chakra on jutsu or enhancing my speed. Knowing Naruto, his traps are more...devious than this. I should be on my guard. I just focus on chasing the annoying kid, wanting to get this over with already. We go through the trees, my vision of him blocked by the branches and leaves; an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just run, trying to watch for any sign of him, my right foot tripping as I step on a wire that I didn't notice. How careless of me. I must be losing it. I feel my feet fly out from under me as the string tugs on my ankle, cutting into my bare skin as it drags me across a random tree. I grunt as I feel the string wrap around me, the cords digging into my naked body and completely binding me to the trunk. I am immobilized, my arms and legs bound by the thin wire; my anger rising slightly as I hear Naruto's laugh from somewhere close by.

"T-this isn't funny, you dolt! Come on out already; this is getting tiresome," I shout, my face flushed with embarrassment at being caught in this stupid trap. I'm also tired of being cold and naked, the night air cutting through my skin and giving me goosebumps. Maybe if I pretended to give up the blond would stop his foolish prank. I hear the rustle from branches above me, straining my ears to hear the sound, as I can't move my head much thanks to the wire. As I watch him jump down from the branch, my eye widens as I make out his figure in more detail thanks to the light of the moon above us. They were wearing his orange jacket, and the giggle did sound like Naruto's, but my heart skipped a beat as she moved closer to me, her clothed body pressing up against my own. My anger turned into surprise then, my body warming up with embarrassment as my mind processed who was in front of me. I could only mutter her name, my brain confused as I wondered why she would do this.

"H-hyakkimaru-san?"

.. … …

 **A/N: This chapter is now complete. Reviews are great, thanks. Gonna edit ch3 so it matches up with this one now and expect that one to be bit longer as well. Not thisl ong, but maybe half the length. I dunno.**


	3. Ch 3

**A/N: trying to slowly do more writing. It's been hard. Lots of Rl things going on; but I wanna try to write more. Chapters may be short this time around. Hope to write more in the future; I have ideas, just giving those ideas thought is hard; like this chapter for instance. Like I have things for Chunin exams, some of the Movies, a couple of those fillersodes and Part 2, in between timeskip already, but they just won't...come out? It's driving me insane; I wonder if I should just make a bunch of random chapters instead of an interconnecting thing...Or do the in between chapters late while these ideas are still fresh? Maybe I'm out of practice...**

 **And as always, any reviews would help, even if it's just "this is garbage". I need to know how to get better. And no, telling me to stop writing KakaOC fanfic will not help.**

All I can do is stare at the figure in front of me, my wrists bound by the wire holding me to the tree trunk. She walks towards me, an unreadable expression on her face as she presses up against my much taller body. I am unable to think, my mind blank as her hands run across my stomach and abdomen, only able to watch as the smirk on her face grows wider. _I'm not sure if I should be worried or turned on. This situation is so bizarre. She's so close, too..._ My heart starts beating rapidly at our closeness, my face flushing with embarrassment at my situation. I can't do anything to stop her as she partially climbs the tree, using chakra on her left foot to stick to it. She is almost on top of me, her right foot oddly enough just dangling near the tree until she wraps it around my left leg. She doesn't care about the thin wires binding my leg in place, actually using them as a sort of fulcrum to lock herself in place. Her tiny hands are curling themselves around my fingers, wrapping around my hand; Her fingers are nice and warm to my cold, wet body. I am a little wet from rewashing myself in the river, the hairs on my skin on edge as goosebumps appear on my forearms. That's not from the cold, however, my heart beating rapidly as I feel her clothed body push against me. Her large breasts are smushed in her shirt, the wrappings covering them making them seem flatter than usual. I feel them press up against my chest, her soft skin making me feel extremely self conscious at my own vulnerability. She was only wearing a short shirt and long pants that seemed more like casual wear. We were preparing to go to sleep for the night so it's not unreasonable she's in a state of partial undress. Despite my dangerous predicament, I find myself somewhat enthralled by her proximity, my hands wishing they could be free right now as impure thoughts start running through my mind. I try to shake them away; this was how I had ended up like this in the first place. If I hadnt snuck up on her while she was bathing , I wouldn't be tied up like this, my naked body exposed for anyone to see. Panic flashes through me for a minute as I pray no one else is nearby; Hyakkimaru seeing me in such a state is bad enough. If Naruto or the others did, I'd never live it down. Her face is quite close to my own and I can feel her warm breath tickling my ear as she leans in even further, her short, brown curls brushing against my unmasked cheek.

"So it was _you_ , Hatake-san," She starts to say, her voice sounding quite different from it's usual stern and commanding tone. I noticed she had stopped imitating Naruto, her voice back to its usual low cadence. It was soft, playful almost as she continued to speak, her voice rumbling quite seductively to my ears, even though I could tell she was pissed by her tone. She probably won't forgive me for this. _She knew. I thought I was being careful..._ I think as I wait for her to continue.

"I had thought something was up. I assumed it was my paranoia because I was on edge from today's assault," She starts to say, her left leg bumping against my pelvis as she lifts it onto the tree trunk. I grunt in surprise and a bit of pain as she rests her shapely hips on top of my abdomen, using the tree as a balance to not put too much weight on my body. I can't do much, my voice stuck in my throat as I try to understand what is going on. I assumed she was angry, going by her tone and body language. And the fact that I was tied up, unable to move or make hand signs. I'm not so sure that is the case now, as her bandaged hand brushes my bangs out of my face as she looks at me. I stare into her eye, her brown eye never looking away as she speaks.

"I was just being ogled at by a pervert. If it was one of the kids, I'd have brushed it off as teenage curiosity or sex drive...punish them with a small prank and then call it a day. Instead I find you..." She comments, her right hand tracing around my cheek, stopping on my lips. _Eh? What does that mean?_ I think, confusion flashing across my face as my heart leaps into my throat. _Please, this isn't what I think it means, is it?_ Not that I would mind if that was the case; it's just that I feel vulnerable like this. I'd rather be in control to be honest. I've never done anything this intense before; even in my books it was usually the male lead who initiated the relationship.

"I-i just want you to be honest with me. How much did...you see?" I can only blink at this comment, my body heating up as I remember her nice naked body which was more or less on top of me right now. I can feel myself start to rise slightly, a curse coming out of my mouth as I realize Hyakkimaru will feel this. Her own composure is broken for a second as a shocked expression flashes across her face, a blush coloring her cheeks. I stammer nervously, any words I had planned to say stolen by my body's reaction.

"Uh...erm...I just wanted to stop Naruto from peeping on Sakura. Then things got out of hand."

"Naruto...I can't believe it..." She stutters, our gaze broken as she looks away from me. She stares at me again, moving her bandaged arm in front of my eyes.

"What about these? Did you see under these bandages?" I shake my head no, causing a sigh of relief to come out of her mouth. Why's she more concerned about her arm and leg? She stares at me again, a blush running across her cheeks as she asks me a question.

"Erm...ah..." She trails off, her voice surprisingly timid as I feel an odd push against my abdomen, the area where her crotch is kind of poking me softly. I watch as blood trickles down her nose, the two of us just still like this as it stains her shirt red. She makes an embarrassed squeak, her face turning an even darker shade of red than I thought it could. Her mouth opens and closes a few times, words trying but failing to come out as she stares at me. Her tone is harsh as she stares me down, her brow furrowed.

"Don't tell me you were peeping on Sakura-chan, you...you..." I shake my head furiously at her stuttering, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. I attempt to explain myself.

"S-Sakura? No, never! I'm not into children; I was just making sure Naruto and Sasuke weren't..." Her index finger presses up against my lips at this moment, stopping any more words from coming out of my mouth. Her face is red as she stares at me.

"Fine then, but...I can't believe you tried to see me naked, you pervert!" She stops talking, my own face blushing wildly as I evade her gaze. I didn't try to see her naked; I burned that image into my brain. It's kind of hard to not imagine her naked as she is the only thing in my field of view right now.

"Well what you're doing now isn't any better!" I shout, my anger rising just a little bit. She actually nods at my response, her voice timid as she mutters something.

"Of course it isn't! I feel kind of bad doing it," I blink at her staunch acceptance, my mind blank for a moment. I'd have thought she'd try to deny it or something. The fact that she didn't takes me off my guard a bit, my voice soft as I ask a question.

"Then why? This seems quite outrageous for someone as even keeled as you." I ask, her only response a small chuckle.

"What goes around comes around; that's how this world works. You shouldn't have spied on me; and so you know, I would have done something similar to those kids as well if I had caught them." _Ok that makes some sense...It's a kind of punishment I suppose._ I reason, her logic somewhat sound. I probably wouldn't like being spied on while bathing either. I really only spied on her for curiosity's sake, wanting to see what she looked like under the armor. She seems to have some sort of phobia or something, considering she didn't even let Sakura see her nude body. That and the fact that half of her body is covered with bandages for some reason. She must be hiding something she finds odd or embarrassing, similar to how I hide my face. The two of them being women, I figured she'd be more comfortable around someone of the same gender...I guess not. I focus on talking.

"So you're punishing me? Why something like this?"

"Simple." She starts, her eye scanning me up and down, making me feel nervous and embarrassed.

"I think it's only fair that I get to see you naked, hmmm? You wouldn't voluntarily show yourself to me of course, so I had to...set things up to work to my advantage." Makes some sense. But not really. This is almost assault. I never touched her; even though I masturbated to her naked body. Ah...I suppose that is kind of similar. She's objectifying me as I did to her. She just has the 'balls' to be more hands on. Quite different from most women who've had crushes on me. They would just act meek and shy, sometimes even following me around. They wanted me to make a move, and I had no time for that back then, usually busy with work for the village. Come to think of it, that was mainly when I was in Anbu. Not to say that women don't try to approach me now, most of them using the same shy tactics, though there were a few who had tried to be more aggressive. I just don't have time for that. Besides, after Rin died, I swore to myself that I wouldn't fall in love. It would be bad for both me and the person involved. I don't want someone close to me to die again. In this line of work, death is a constant companion, and I can't take any more deaths. I've seen too many people die; I don't want her to get hurt too. She seems like a decent enough person. Too decent to be involved with someone like me. Well...aside from this little odd encounter. That I caused, I admit. She's only responding with what she sees as an appropriate measure. _Well, it's working, just not as a deterrent. Ah, stop it. This train of thought is bad._ I should attempt to let Hyakkimaru down gently, ignoring the embarrassing reactions by my body. It's not like I have full control over those either.

"I apologize. Really, I'm sorry. This is just... quite...embarrassing..." She smirks at my comment, causing my stomach to lurch with nausea. I feel her face move close to mine, her brown curls obscuring my vision for a few moments. Her lips press up against my cheek, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Well...I had planned to let you go after you confessed, however...This...isn't exactly how I wanted...it to happen. Y-you..." Her face reddening as she turned her head away from me for a moment, the rest of her sentence inaudible.

"What do you mean by that?"

I say, shivering a bit in the cold air. She clears her throat, staring at me one last time, her eye roving over my naked body. I feel her weight lift off me as she attempts to untangle herself from my prone form, being careful not to touch my sensitive parts. She's surprisingly dexterous for someone with a body that small. Hopefully her wound doesn't open up again, though it's not like she's doing anything too strenuous. An odd twinkle shines in her eye, her fingers on her bandaged hand trailing down my exposed neck. I shiver again, this time from her sensual touch as she rests that hand on my bare chest, her thumb quite close to my hardened nipple. She stares up at me, her uncovered eye locking onto mine for a few moments. I can see something akin to pity or sadness in that eye, or so I think. Her body turns away from me, breaking our contact as she walks toward another tree. I see my bag in her hand as she bends down, giving me a nice view of her butt. I close my eyes, not wanting to look, ignoring the feelings along my lower half. As I open them, her face pops into view, making my heart leap a bit at how close she is. I feel the wires around my body loosen, already preparing myself to land on the ground. My bag is at my feet, closed and looking as if it wasn't tampered with. Hyakkimaru looks away from me, her face beet red as she begins to turn around. I barely hear her speak, my ears picking up the smallest sound.

"Let's keep this between us, shall we?" Her question surprises me slightly, but I don't object to it. I'd rather keep this private.

"O-of course. This never happened." I respond, and she nods as she walks away. I quickly attend to my own business, getting dressed in more comfortable clothes afterward. Nothing is out of place as I return to our makeshift camp, aside from Naruto giving me an odd look as he looks over at the small samurai.

"What are you doing?" I ask him, the blond snickering at me. I sigh, shaking my head as I stare at him.

"Well, you two were gone for a few minutes. You weren't back with your stuff either, so I figured..." I stop him there, covering his mouth with my hand so none of the women could hear. Sakura was closer to us than I would like, and who knows how she would react to that.

"N-nothing happened, you idiot!" I hastily confirm, letting go of Naruto and setting my own stuff down somewhere else. I quickly settle into my own sleeping bag, tired and mentally exhausted from this afternoon. I watch as everyone else starts to fall asleep as well, minus Sasuke who is on watch tonight. We can't be too careful. I do notice that Hyakkimaru's things are quite far away from everyone else's, far away from our small fire pit. It's definitely not close enough to feel heat from the fire, yet still close to Tazuna-san's things. I wonder why, my mind wondering up scenarios until it finally succumbs to sleep.

"Momochi Zabuza...He's going to be a difficult opponent," I comment, looking up at the hulking man using his own sword as a foothold. I look over at the others in our small group, watching their reactions. The small samurai is calm, just standing there with a hand on their sword hilt, their silver armor glinting slightly in the light. They are standing protectively in front of Team Seven and Tazuna. As I expected Tazuna and the three kids are obviously terrified, never having seen an opponent like this before. Of course they would be; their only actual combat scenario was just yesterday. They've never really faced someone with killing intent before. Zabuza is a jounin as well, almost on the same level as me; He's nothing like the two claw wielding ninja we fought earlier. They were pushovers compared to him.

 _This might be bad...I'm honestly not at my best..._ I think, regretting my own carelessness with keeping up with my training. I've definitely been taking it easy these past couple years; My body feeling lackluster. My chakra capacity is not at it's full potential either. Using the Sharingan here would be dangerous...Against an opponent like this, however, it's probably our best bet. I slowly lift up the left side of my head protector, my Sharingan already active, feeling the drain on my chakra already. I haven't had to use it in a while, so it feels more pronounced than usual. I hear a mumbled whisper of ' _Amazing...'_ , the voice slightly familiar as I had grown more accustomed to it over time. The samurai mutters a word of praise, my heart skipping a beat as I realize she's talking about me. I doubt I can fight too long like this, and honestly I'm not expecting much from Hyakkimaru in the way of offense. Her role is more for support and defense, especially against an opponent like this. _His Silent killing technique is formidable. I doubt I'd be able to perceive it in time even with my Sharingan. It's best that they stay and protect the kids and Tazuna._ I think, looking up at Zabuza, who has not yet begun to move from his position on the tree. I hear the clink of armor behind me and notice the samurai staring at me, nodding.

"I will protect Tazuna and your team. Please do whatever you must to end this. Just do be careful, my good sir. Do not put yourself in any undue harm, yes?" They comment, their voice slightly muffled behind their closed helm. I could detect a slight hint of concern there. I turn my head slightly, looking straight at her. I blink a couple times, unsure of what my Sharingan was processing. Her chakra flow...was quite a bit different from most people. Not like Naruto's case, where his was abnormally large, with two chakra flowing through his body. Hers was small...definitely average or below average at best and seemed to flow in irregular ways throughout her body. It's probably worse than my capacity right now, and I'm out of shape. How can she fight like that? Using powerful jutsu is out of the question for her, unless she has perfect chakra control, which I doubt. Not many people do; controlling one's chakra flow is difficult enough, but she seems to have extra difficulties on top of that. I am curious, but I don't want to pry. I attempt to hide my concerned look by responding to her question. She only looks at me with a raised eyebrow, her face neutral other than that one quirky movement.

"Of course. I don't intend to lose so easily. Are you sure _you're_ going to be fine? That wound you received a day ago still hasn't healed...It might open up again if you're not careful, y'know?" I ask, causing them to nod.

"Ah, right...Thank you for the concern," They mutter, seeming to freeze in place for a second. They straighten up almost immediately however, their bandaged hand grabbing ahold of their katana hilt. "If you do need help, however, please don't hesitate to call me for support. Even among samurai, the Seven Mist Swordsman are quite infamous. My skills may possibly be of use," They comment, backing up a few paces to move closer to Tazuna-san and the kids. The old man was clearly petrified, sweat beading his forehead, and my team was in a similar state. Naruto and Sakura were clearly distressed, the former's eyes darting to the samurai and I. None of the usual confidence was on his face, the small kunai in his hand shaking. Sakura was probably worse off, her expression one of pure terror as she stood at the old man's side. Even Sasuke, the most composed of our team, was shaking slightly, his face pale. They had never been up against anything remotely like this; the three of them having only having seen real combat and death only a day and a half ago.

"Oh...So I see the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi at work, eh? I'm honored," Zabuza taunts, finally leaping off of the tree and onto the water. I could see and feel his chakra fluctuating, his chakra network pulsating as he molded chakra by using hand signs. Mist began to slowly coagulate in the area, spreading out from the small lake Zaubza was standing on. A couple shrill gasps from Naruto and Sakura made me turn around quickly. They were looking around frantically, their eyes darting to and fro as they nervously scanned the area. To them this must be quite frightening; Hyakkimaru was the only one unfazed. She gently put her armored hand on Naruto's shoulder, saying something to him, and then did the same for Sakura. The two relaxed quite a bit after that, both taking out a kunai and brandishing it to protect the old man. They were still nervous, but looked more focused on the task at hand, Naruto even grinning at Tazuna-san in a mock attempt to reassure him. _Well...that seemed to have helped those two a little. Good. They're more focused now, and even Sasuke is looking a little better._ I think, wanting to give a few encouraging words of my own.

"Don't worry. I won't let any of you die. You're my precious comrades," I say a reassuring smile forming on my face. The kids brightened up instantly when they heard me, smiles on their faces as they stared at me with glowing eyes. Even Tazuna-san and the small samurai looked less flustered, the latter offering a short bow in return for some strange reason.

"Sensei, how can you be so calm? That's amazing!" Naruto shouted, the other two responding in kind. Hearing the slightest sound, I turned around to see Zabuza making hand signs. MY eyes widened in surprise as I read them; _that jutsu..._ I immediately start to throw shruiken at the huge man, hoping it would slow his concentration or possibly break his casting. He barely even flinches, most of the projectiles missing him but a couple cutting him in the shoulders and one even embedding itself in his torso. He took a full on shuriken to chest, granted it was small, but that should have been a direct hit. Either he's more sturdy than I thought or I didn't hit a vital spot. It was possible, since I am rusty, and the mist does obscure visibility even with the Sharingan. Seeing that my first idea failed, I quickly run toward Tazuna-san and my squad. There's no way I can copy those signs in time now, and it's easier to dodge out of the way than counter. I'd rather save my chakra; this fight could go on for a long time. I don't know if he could use more of those as well, that would be bad if I had no way to counter them.

"Everybody scatter! Get as far away from here as you can!" I shout, everyone reacting differently to my command. Sasuke grabs Sakura and flees into the trees, Naruto looking at the samurai and the old man before doing the same. She nods, hoisting the old man over her shoulders, before taking off into the trees with amazing speed. I didn't think she could move so fast with that armor. It looks quite heavy, the silver metal almost blending in with our dull surroundings. Then again, she nearly took down those Mist Chunin on her own, so I probably shouldn't be underestimating her...Feeling the pressure of chakra building up, I also head for the trees, hoping he hasn't noticed our quick escape. He probably has; but controlling a Water Dragon of that size takes a considerable amount of chakra, and if has to turn it to slam into us, I'm hoping it loses much of its momentum. That way it would lessen the damage and the destructive force of the technique quite a bit. Finding a high vantage point from the trees, I watch as the chakra dragon skates through the ground, causing a large tunnel of dirt to spray forth, the thing finally rising in the air as it goes past our previous positions. _If that had hit..._ I think, watching as the huge dragon turns towards me, though its form is quite a bit smaller than before.

"...I should be able to counter it now..." I mutter, quickly going through hand signs, my chakra depleting as I focus on the casting. I watch as pillars of rock erupt out of the ground, some of them destroying the trees around me and a few feet around and causing splinters and chunks of wood to fly everywhere. Hearing some more movement in the trees, the leaves rustling as I hear the familiar clink of metal, I see a couple shapes out of the corner of my eye land on the solid field below us. My team seems to be fine, totally unaffected by the dragon's attack, probably because they are on the complete other side of the grove of trees surrounding the plain. At least they were smart enough to do that much... I follow suit, not wanting to be in the impact zone when that thing comes rushing at us. Zabuza has also stopped casting, feeling the pressure of chakra leave the surface of the lake and calm down. Of course. Now that his target is in the open he'd obviously go for a more hands on approach. He was already charging at the two, brandishing his blade that looked about twice his size.

The samurai quickly brandished her own katana, the small silver blade looking more like a toothpick in comparison. Thankfully I was only a few steps away, right next to her and the old man, the clinking of her armor rattling in the mist as I saw her head turn my way. Her bandaged hand pointed towards the old man, who was shaking where he stood, his poor hunching figure looking quite out of place next to the looming Mist ninja. I nod, understanding her intent as I grab Tazuna-san, who is probably getting used to be hefted over people's shoulders by now, and sped off as far away as possible. I set him down in the other grove of trees, easily finding the three terrified kids and checking they were fine. Despite being a bit dirty and mentally flustered, they were otherwise okay. I had no time to inquire further; getting back to Zabuza was my top priority right now. I had no doubt he could out power the samurai, noting the difference in size and power of the two based on the few things I had seen. She was just too small, and being a woman on top of that, even with her physique, there was no possible way she would be able to hold him off for too long if it came to a no holds barred match. Plus, those injuries from earlier are hampering her movement; she should be careful lest they open up again. I'm honestly surprised she was able to do this much.

"...Is...that the best you can do? Using...that slab of metal like a cleaver, eh?" I hear the samurai mutter, her breathing slightly ragged as she ducks under a large winding swing from Zabuza. The blade scrapes against her silver armor, sparks flying as the tip of the blade brushes against her chestplate. From that position, there's not much chance she could maneuver well enough to dodge another blow. They both know this, Zabuza brandishing his blade once more in an overhead arc to split the small samurai in two. I feel my pulse quicken, adrenaline running through me as I furiously speed through hand signs. _I won't make it...My casting speed isn't nearly as good as it was. I've let myself get too lax..._ I think, pillars of earth rising up from the ground near the two swordsmen. I watch a couple pillars graze Zabuza on the chest and shoulders, small nicks of blood pouring down his body, the criss-crossing pillars completely missing any vital spots or organs. That's fine; that's not what I was aiming for. The samurai has moved out of the range of the swing at this point, and Zabuza's blade cleaves nothing but air. Good. I can see the samurai unleash her own blade in a flurry of attacks before it actually strikes, and I quickly brandish a couple kunai to throw at the hulking man. I still keep one in my hand, using my chakra to sharpen it slightly, the blade sparking a bit with electricity as I swing at him. Being already preoccupied with Hyakkimaur's flurry of blow, using his huge sword to deflect a few swings, he doesn't have enough time to dodge both the kunai and my lunge at his vital organs. He does, however, have time to substitute out of the way of my strike, his body turning into a mix of blood and water as a kunai pierced him. Interesting. He used a combination of the blood on the rocks, the mist in the air and the water in the lake to completely evade our assault. I can't tell where he went either; the mist hides him too well, and I can't smell his blood with it on the rocks and the ground. _He's not going to give us enough time to find him, anyway._ I think, carefully scanning the area while stepping closer to the samurai. Her head is also turning around and about, probably trying to find any trace of the Mist ninja.

"...Completely vanished. Hatake-san, can you feel his presence at all?" She comments, her odd use of my last name and the honorific making me feel uncomfortable. I ignore it, trying to find any trace of the huge man. There's no way he could have gone far; definitely not in this short amount of time. He's probably hiding in the mist, waiting to strike one of us. He would not go after Tazuna or the kids right now. He knows we expect him to do that. I say as much, my heart racing from the feeling of something hard and kind of soft pressing up against it. Hyakkimaru's back is pressed against mine, her armor protecting my back as a sort of shield. Speaking of flanks, I deftly reach into my pouch to grab a couple shuriken, my fingers gliding along to touch the samurai's posterior, my composure momentarily lost for a fraction of a second. That was an accident. Completely by mistake, I tell myself as I respond to her, my voice calm as I can make it sound after what I just did. _By pure accident._ I do notice however, that her back is once again wet with what was probably blood; meaning that the wound on her back has opened. That is not good. She won't be able to fight too well in this condition. If she is in any pain, she does not show it, her face a blank mask underneath her helmet. I avoid asking about it for now; we have slightly more pressing concerns to take care of. Maybe after this is over. My own body is becoming tired; I can feel the chakra drain out of my body with each moment. It's a scary feeling and reminds me that I shouldn't be so quick to rely on this eye. It's dangerous to use so often, even if it was a gift from my departed comrade. I want to do right by him using the strength he gave me, but that's useless if it ends up killing me.

"No. Thankfully, he's focusing on us now, so he won't bother going after the kids or old man. We may be able to take him, but I'd suggest you be careful. Like I mentioned, even with my Sharingan, we should be careful of his Silent Killing technique." I respond, the shuriken in my hand poised to throw into the mist. We can do this. Just as I think this, I notice a flash of movement to my left, a dark figure appearing out of the mist. The shuriken in my hand fly out in a wide arc, converging on the center of the figure, the clang of metal telling me that he had deflected my attack. I hear the whizz of the shuriken as they fly off into the air, the rush of heavy steps pounding against the wet grass I as notice Zabuza coming at us, his blade already beginning to swing. I leap out of the way, the clinking of chainmail telling me that the samurai has done so as well. The burly dark skinned man can only stand there, using his hands to try and pull out his cleaver-like sword that was lodged in the dirt. Every movement looked painful for the man, his earlier wounds from our assault still dripping blood. I sort of felt bad for him, but right now he's our enemy; we can't afford to have pity here. He has to die. I can see him move before he does, heading for Hyakkimaru to the right of me. I hear her sigh, a deep muffled sound, as well as the soft unwrapping of bandages. She is still holding her blade, but in an awkward way to as not to cut either of us with while doing this. I grow confused for a moment; why is she unwrapping her injured arm? _What good could that do?_ I turn my head to look at her, my heart rapidly beating as I exhale in shock.

"Guess I should stop holding back. I can't have you protecting me all the time; I have my own pride to watch out for, you know?" She mutters, staring down at her arm, the unusual appendage making my eyes widen as I took it in. It was the form of a human arm, hand and all, but that was where the similarities ended. It was not made out of skin, muscle and bone like a human arm, but of some synthetic material. It had numerous joints, seams and creases running across it. It did connect to a human appendage, her right shoulder clearly made out of flesh and blood. The fingers were bent at an angle no human fingers could be, small holes poking out of the disconnected joints. I just blink at it, slowly realizing something the more I stare at it with my Sharingan. From where the mechanical arm connected to the shoulder I could not see the flow of chakra at all. It just...stopped. The amount of chakra in her shoulder was very small; it might as well have not been in that part of her body at all for all the good it did. _With that type of impairment...how does she even make hand signs or mold chakra? Doing those things one handed is pretty difficult, not to mention some of more complex hand signs are almost impossible to pull off._ I ponder, my ears noticing the odd sound of mechanical whirring as I watched her point the odd appendage at the ground of Zabuza. I can see the projectiles before they come shooting out of the small holes, the tiny needles littering the ground right in front of us and the dashing Zabuza. The battle weary man swiftly stops in his tracks, but not before a couple of needles pierce his feet and legs, small puncture wounds compared to the many others on his body. She doesn't stop there; an odd sound like the hissing of steam coming out of her arm as she presses down on specific parts of it.

"...W-what? What are you doing!?" I hear myself shout, my body frozen in shock as I watch the arm cleanly detach itself from the stump of her shoulder. Other than a small grunt, she is completely fine, already turning to me and holding out the odd...thing. I just blink, unsure of what to do, as she shoves it into my hand.

"Sorry to impose Hatake-san, but I need you to hold onto this for me. Please don't lose it, alright?" She says with a smirk, her now free hand already brandishing her bloody sword. Her hand holding the blade is making some sort of hand sign, the amount of chakra in her body fluctuating wildly as she attempts to mold it into a usable state. The other arm is just a long piece of slim metal; the blade of a katana running along the length of where her false arm used to be. There is still no chakra running through it, her right arm entirely devoid of the stuff except for the shoulder. She moves it as deftly as she does her real arm, crossing the blade in front of her as her knees tense. How is that possible? Jumping into the air, her blades crossed in front of her, she lunges at Zabuza, who is also shocked at the removal of her arm. He probably wasn't expecting this either. I watch as her body moves to and fro in the air, mirror images copying her movements as she plunges forwards.

"Sorry, but I can't let you live. Or client's life is on the line here," She shouts, her arms moving across each other to slice the swordsman in half. He smirks, brandishing his own large blade as the two meet; her body seemingly cut into pieces by the heavy series of swings. She was fine of course, the thing that he hit only being a projection of her real body, which was on our left. _So she used a clone technique as well to help maximize the effect, too..._ I think, honestly impressed with her quick wit. I had seen that blade technique before, but I don't remember where. I doubt it was only a technique used by ninja; we probably adapted it from the samurai, seeing as shinobi were an offshoot of the sword wielding warriors. By using such simple techniques in tandem, along with the confused state of her opponent, she was able to make an opening for herself.

"Hmph. Amateur. Don't think such shitty parlor tricks will work on me just because I'm wounded!" Zabuza shouts, his right leg lashing out with a strong kick. I feel my heart skip a beat as I see it happen before it does, my reflexes too slow even as I move to try and intercept the attack. I can feel my chakra leak every time I use the precognition of the Sharingan, my body becoming more sluggish and tired than I want to admit. I haven't had to use this eye in a long time, or not as much as I would like. I try to use it sparingly as well, even on the higher ranked missions I go on, saving it for only the most deadly encounters. Even though her swords do cut Zabuza, her normal katana piercing into his side as her arm blade slashes across his ribs, she cannot defend herself from his strong kick. The momentum of her body rushing towards him, and the force of the powerful kick mesh together to send her flying, her hand losing it's grip on the hilt of her sword which was still embedded in the man. If that wound hasn't already opened it definitely is now, blood marking the path Hyakkimaru made into the small glade of trees. A harsh crashing sound echoes in my ears, along with a yell of pain. My stomach churned, worry and fear building as I stare Zabuza down, not wanting to let down my guard. I want to go see if she is okay, but I don't have the chance, Zabuza quickly making hand signs in front of me. I quickly decipher them, realizing he's trying to hide in the mist again, and I drop Hyakkimaru's false arm to lunge at him with another kunai I pull out of my pouch. My swing only cleaves through air, and I feel no trace of his chakra nearby.

"Dammit! This is getting old..." I curse, trying to predict where he would strike next. My thoughts instantly turn to my injured companion, the blood trail on the ground easy to see even in all this mist. If I was Zabuza, a smart move would be to finish off a downed opponent. He could also be thinking of going after Tazuna now, since one of us is down for the count, and he probably think I'll go check up on her first. He was right in that regard; I can't just leave her like that. _There's no way he can get to the old man in time to kill him, not with those wounds. That should save me a few minutes._ I think, ignoring the dread in my stomach as I quickly follow the line of bloody grass, her prosthetic arm in my hand. It made the bottom of my sandals wet and sticky, my own tracks leaving dark prints as I hurried to the splintered tree. Her tiny frame was splayed across the trunk, her armor and helmet disheveled in the impact, red crimson liquid laying in a small pool beneath her. Still no trace of Zabuza's chakra nearby. If he wanted to kill her, he would've attempted to already. I hurriedly kneel down next to her, quickly checking for a pulse on her human wrist. It's still warm, causing me to let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Her blood covered arm blade is still poking out of her shoulder and I am careful as not cut myself with it. She seems to be out cold however, her eye glazed over as I take off her helmet, blood streaming down her face. Her hair was wet and matted with blood, my gloved hand coming away covered in the stuff as I gently moved her body to a better position against my chest. I carefully check the spot where her previous wound was, carefully lifting her chestplate and running my already bloodied hand against the wet bandages. The gashes had opened completely, my earlier stitching now made useless as they once again were exposed to the air. From what I could feel, she had a few broken ribs as well, and some other small internal wounds. A small sound came out of her mouth then, a weak groan of pain as I put her armor and shirt back in order. I want to fix her up right now, seeing as she is losing more blood by the moment, but I am also worried about Tazuna and my three students. If Zabuza got to them, they'd most likely die. A small tug on my vest startled me, Hyakkimaru's hand trembling as she held on. I could only stare at her, my mouth slightly agape as her eye stared me down. It was slightly unfocused, but still held an odd inner fire. If it wasn't for her wounds, I expect she'd get up and start searching for him right away. She was in no condition to do that however, and even she knew it, her voice soft as she attempted to speak.

"Got away, huh? I keep screwing up...the last few days...W-why?" she muttered, my only response was to lean in closer so I could hear her better. She coughs a bit, blood spewing out of her mouth, and I can feel her broken ribs painfully shuffle a bit as she tried to move.

"Don't move. You'll only make it worse. I'll finish this," I say as I gingerly hold her in my arms, trying not to agitate her wounds, grabbing the hand that was holding onto me, its grip already failing as her strength wore out. I don't want to leave her here vulnerable, and if there's nothing wrong at the other side, then I can leave to have the kids look after her. She's not doing too great though, as I can feel her body shaking against me each time she takes a breath.

"Fine...Just don't think...I'm letting you off...you pervert," She says, her last words making me freeze in place, a chill running down my spine. She knew. Oh dammit; that wasn't on purpose! I make an excuse in my mind, my face flushing a bit as I placed her hand on her bleeding chest, in an attempt to stem the bleeding. She was out cold now, her face pale and covered in sweat, her body starting to tremble as I press her against my chest. If we make it out of this, it'll take a long while for her to recover. Probably a week at best, if nothing goes wrong during that time frame anyway. I focus chakra in my feet, being careful with my movements as I head for where we last split up. They should still be in the same spot, and I pray that is the case as I head into the thicket of trees. It doesn't take long to find them, the four of them clearly visible even though they are doing their best to try and hide. All four of them stare at me with wide eyes, their looks of shock on their pale faces focused mostly on the prone Hyakkimaru.

"...What happened?" Sasuke surprisingly speaks up first, his eyes narrowed as he watches me lay the wounded warrior down on the grass. He moves slightly so he can see more from his vantage point in the glade of trees. Naruto, Sakura and Tazuna are just watching, the kunoichi at least able to take some small items out of her pack. They seemed to be a small roll of bandages and a needle, which alleviated my fears somewhat. She had helped stitch up her wounds before, so I think I can trust Sakura with this. I say as much, quickly scanning the area so as not to miss any odd signs of movement.

"I need to see if Zabuza is still pursuing us. His wounds are also grave, so he may have given up by now. Still, I need to do a quick patrol before we can make sure and get going," I say, making some quick hand signs and focusing chakra throughout my body. This will be the best way to get an area this large cleared out quickly. A wave of exhaustion sweeps over me as the chakra exits my body, several familiar shapes appearing before me. Good, they seem fine. I notice as I crouch down to their level, holding out my hand to let a few familiar snouts sniff it. One of the many dogs looks right at me, his wrinkled face and short stature making him easy to spot.

"It's hard to find the scent since you're covered in so much blood, but it ain't impossible." The small pug comments, his droopy eyes locking into me as I nod.

"Right. I just want to make sure he's no longer pursuing us. Do not go after him or provoke the target. Just let me know if he's left the area. Understood?" I command, the small pack of ninja dogs barking eagerly at my voice. The three kids and old man just watch with wide eyes as they dart off into the trees, the only one staying behind the small rotund pug. Pakkun walks over to the group, his tiny tail wagging a bit as he looks them all over. I nod, knowing that he'd be the first to alert me if something goes wrong. I want to do a sweep of the area myself as well. Sakura is carefully examining the unconscious Hyakkimaru, her body unmoving aside from the rise and fall of her chest.

"Sensei, what's wrong with her body?" Naruto asks, his eyes darting to her prosthetic arm lying on the ground next to her, the blood stained blade still sticking out of her shoulder. I'd like to cover it up or remove it, but I have no idea how to do so. I believe messing with it would hurt her further, and she's in enough pain as it is. I'm not really sure what to do here.

"I don't know Naruto. She's hurt pretty badly; don't move her too much. Sakura, if you could try and fix her up while I'm on patrol that would help. Of course I'll take over once I'm sure the area is secure, but for now anything would do," I answer, Sakura already at work cleaning and stitching some of the smaller wounds on the woman's body. _Good. That should help a little bit at least._ I think, watching as Sakura slowly turned her body over to inspect the wounds from yesterday. I jump on one of the trees overhead, sprinting through the branches to reach the misty clearing, on the alert for chakra signals the whole time. I don't find anything, no trace of his chakra signature anywhere in the clearing or small lake near us. My dogs are also coming up with nothing, barks of disappointment echoing throughout the small clearing.

I dash around the opposite side of trees and even further beyond, the only thing there the trail of blood from the samurai. He must have left; the fact that I can't sense his presence anymore confirms it. But how? I keep walking, the air feeling slightly colder as I go on, which strikes me as odd. This isn't natural, mist would not make the air this cold, even if it was enhanced by chakra. My Sharingan quickly picks up something out of the ordinary, as I spot traces of chakra the further I go. I notice that some of the trees are covered in a light frost, the ground also spotted with white in a couple places. It'd be hard to see in this mist, the traces of ice so tiny that you'd really have to focus on it to find it. Plus, I doubt I'd have found it without the help of my Sharingan, which clearly makes the chakra visible. I feel a wave of dizziness come over me, and I stumble a bit as I attempt to keep my balance. This eye is wearing me out more than I thought it would. A searing pain emenates from my left eye, a ache that spreads to my head. I can feel a headache coming on; a migraine brought about by using the eye too much. Dammit. I don't need this now. I've already confirmed that Zabuza is no longer pursuing us. I can worry about myself later. Detecting movement near me, I turn my head a bit, my ears registering it as the soft thump of dog paws. Most of the pack has finished scouting by now, having found nothing from the disappointed looks on their faces. _Poor guys; to be called out for something like this must be a downer. I should spoil them later. They'd like that._ I think, watching as the pack of dogs walks up next to me. I quickly return to where the kids and Tazuna are, the dogs falling into formation behind me. I check on Sakura's progress on the samurai, who is looking a little less pale and bloody but still critical. Pakkun is watching the two intently for some reason, his wrinkled face tilted in that way pugs do. I close my left eye, the huge drain on my chakra finally lifted somewhat as I quickly pull down my hitai-ate to cover the scarred skin. The three men look at me expectantly, so I give them the good news.

"He's gone. Don't ask me how, but he's not pursuing us anymore. Seems like he had help as well; there's clear signs of a third party involved." I state, Tazuna sighing as he wipes his brow. Naruto and Sasuke look more relieved, though the former is looking at Hyakkimaru with a concerned face. He must be worried too. I walk over to Sakura, being careful to not disturb her as I crouch down. She ignores me, her blood covered hands deftly stitching up a gash in the samurai's abdomen, though I notice her fingers are trembling. I wait until she is finished, then I put my hand on her shoulder, causing the pink haired teen to jump a bit.

"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to startle you. I can do it from here. Thank you Sakura," I say, Sakura nodding as she moves out of the way. I grunt with pain as a sharp throb pierces my left temple; the beginnings of a headache starting to creep in. It could be much worse, I remind myself, remembering the few times I overused the Sharingan. Guilt quickly flows through me as I stare at the woman's body, her bloodied helmet and armor laid off to the side on the grass. Checking on Sakura's work, I notice that she has done a good job. Well for someone born in a civilian family with hardly any shinobi training. I'm proud of her. I finish up what she started, cleaning and stitching some of the wound Sakura didn't touch or notice, which I can't blame her for. Even I'm a bit hesitant to touch these, especially with her internal injuries. A doctor should look at her in more detail. I'm also careful not to cut myself on her blade, the silver metal sticking out of her right shoulder. However, I do the best I can, while also putting her armor and helmet into a bag. Gently lifting her bag, I hand the provisions to Naruto who dutifully takes it. He looks at me, and I only turn to Tazuna I response.

"How far is it to your home town? We might have to camp the night again if need be," I stop talking, both because I was waiting for his response and remembering our little rendezvous the previous night. My eye unconsciously turns to the samurai's small form, my face heating up as I recall the encounter.

"Eh? Nah, we don't need to camp. My tiny village is about a half hours walk from here. Maybe a bit longer, considering we have her to look after." He responds, and I nod. Her body is warm as I carefully press it up against me, once again being careful to not disturb her wounds. She doesn't move much, other than a small moan of pain erupting out of her mouth, more of a sigh than anything. I gesture to the old man to lead the way, following behind as Sasuke and Sakura go ahead of me. At least we made it out of this mess. I doubt that will be the last we see of him though.


	4. Chapter 4

I look over at the loud sounds to my right, the disruption stopping my plan to quickly excuse myself or help clean up the table, my gaze settling on the two teens. Naruto and Sasuke were shoveling food into their mouths, pieces of food flying out of their bowls and in random directions. The sounds of food being chewed, bowls being rapped against the small wooden table where our group was eating, and other disgusting sounds made me want to grab both of them and teach them how to eat properly. This all started a few minutes ago, when Naruto challenged Sasuke to an eating contest, which I never thought he'd accept. Sakura has apparently had enough of this as well, her green eyes narrowing as she stares at the two boys, her fist slamming down on the table.

 _"What_ are you idiots doing!? You're acting like children-no, that kid is better behaved than you dorks!" Sakura yells, her finger pointing to Inari, the small boy who had been calmly eating his food. He was now watching the two boys eat, an astonished look on his face. Tazuna and his daughter had similar looks on their faces, my own face reddening with embarrassment slightly at my team's actions. The two finally stop shoving food down their throats, just staring at us with almost annoyed looks on their faces. Sakura clears her throat, her own face also slightly pink with embarrassment. Good to see I'm not the only one affected by this. I bet the samurai would also be angered by their lack of manners, though she isn't currently eating with us right now.

"That's disgusting! Sasuke, I had thought you'd be smarter than this. Why in the world are you going along with this idiot's dumb...whatever this is!?" The Uchiha only scoffs, his black eyes narrowing as he explained himself.

"I'm not going to let this idiot beat me. Even against something as stupid as eating food."

I sigh, not really sure where to begin with this. Everyone else seems to have recovered slightly, Tazuna's widowed daughter, Tsunami, carefully gathering up empty dishes from the table we were seated at. Her small child, Inari, also began to help as well, slowly getting up from his seat and doing the same.

"You two are being disgusting and immature. Tazuna-san opened his home to us, despite their...tough situation and I'd like to at least show him some respect. Just eat like normal human beings, would you?" I complain, the two boys just staring at me. Naruto swallows his food, a blush coming over his face. Sasuke is more or less the same, the two finally realizing how stupid they're being. Naruto is the first to apologize, his voice quieter than usual.

"S-sorry, Sensei, everyone. It's just we've been on the road for so long; I missed good fashioned home cooking! Tsunami-san, this stuff is great!" The young woman only blushes at this, a small smile on her face. We all nod at Naruto's compliment; it's actually a decent meal. Better than that stuff we had while camping. I feel a small twinge of guilt as I remember that Hyakkimaru is unable to eat with us. She'd probably enjoy eating, but it's probably better to let her sleep now. Someone can get food for her when she wakes up; it will take a while for her wounds to heal. Besides, she only just got back from the clinic a couple hours ago. I'll check up on her later. Or maybe Sakura; she would be fine with anyone except Naruto. His curiosity is too much for his own good. If he had the courage to try and sneak up on me while while I was sleeping just to see my face, I wouldn't put it past him to do something more drastic. He was quite the pervert after all, coming up with that odd Sexy jutsu-not that I minded that technique in the least. _Maybe I could get him to teach me that technique sometime._ But not now; not in front of the kid and his mom. I should at least try to act mature. The jutsu had potential though, I did admit. I snapped out of my train of thoughts, Naruto looking at me with an odd look on his face.

"What?" I asked, turning to face the blond.

"Sensei, is Hyakki-san going to be okay?" _Wait a minute. What's with the nickname?_ I think, Naruto's concerned face making me worry a bit. I honestly don't know. She was in pretty bad shape when we brought her to the small town clinic, and that was a few hours ago. The small town doctor had done all they could for her wounds; all she needed now was good food and bed rest. I just hope the damage from the last fight wasn't permanent. Naruto moved closer to me, his breath smelling like food, which made me want to recoil in surprise a bit.

"I don't really know. Why are you getting so close me anyways?" Naruto only answered with one of his smirks, an attempt by him to cover up his gloomy mood.

"Sorry, sorry. Just...her arm...What was that? Do you have any idea, Sensei?"

 _Ah, so that's what he meant._ I've honestly never really seen something like that. Most people don't get odd prosthesis like those. She must have consciously chosen to do so. Why else would she have a metal arm that can shoot projectiles and hid a blade? Maybe it was to compensate for her low chakra capacity, but I don't think so. She seemed pretty well versed in using them as well; it's not like they were a new addition to her body. How did she get those? Some complicated functions like those would not be easy, or cheap, to obtain.

"I don't know, Naruto. I'm not going to pry either. If she wants to talk about it, she will. I've never seen anything like it before, though, I can say that much. Just...leave her alone for now, please," I comment, a tiny hint of desperation to my voice so that he would understand. Naruto is the type of guy who would barge into Hyakkimaru's room barging for an answer as soon as she became well enough to hold a conversation. Well, I may be exaggerating a little bit...Yet the look on Naruto's face told me I was quite close to hitting the mark.

"R-right...Of course. She's pretty beat up, huh...? You seem to be doing fine though, Sensei. I thought you said using the Sharingan tired you out?" I noticed his stutter, my mind immediately imagining him sneaking into her room. My eye narrowed at this, an odd nausea settling in my stomach that wasn't from the food. I stared at the blond, his face becoming more nervous the more I stared at him.

"Hmmm...I suppose I was just lucky. If that fight had gone on for too long, I suspect we'd probably both be incapacitated. Thanks to our combined efforts, however, Zabuza fled the scene rather quickly. I don't think that will be the last we see of him, however..." I explain, my voice rising in volume at the last few sentences as I spoke, now so that everyone could hear me. I felt it was important to let everyone know this important detail. Tazuna-san only looked at me in surprise, a large bottle of what I could only assume was alcohol in his hand.

"Y-you're kidding! He should be dead, right? R-right?" I shake my head, watching everyone's expressions darken a bit as I scanned the dinner table. I hate to tell them this, but its better if we are prepared. I should do more training myself as well, if we suspect Zabuza will be coming back. He was tough enough on his own, and whoever helped him seemed pretty powerful as well to elude me so completely. The two of them combined could make a powerful combination, even with all five of us there to protect Tazuna-san. I stress as much, wanting everyone to understand the gravity of our situation.

"Yes, that is the case. He's still alive most likely. That means he will come after you again, Tazuna-san," I stopped talking for a bit, my gaze focused on my three dorky students. They all looked at me in anticipation as I continued.

"Which means, you three, that we're going to have do some serious training in order to-"

"Yes! Yeees! About time we learned something new. You haven't taught us anything cool at all, Sensei!" Naruto shouts out, his loud voice overpowering my own as his blue eyes gleamed with excitement. I felt a twinge of embarrassment and frustration at his words. It is true we haven't had many lessons on techniques. I've been taking them on missions mainly to solidify their bond as a team, which hasn't been going so great. Sasuke and Naruto fight like cats and dogs, Sakura always backing up the Uchiha, which makes the arguments escalate even further because of Naruto's crush on her. He always takes things too far when it comes to Sasuke. A bitter smile crosses my face as I am reminded of my own days with Minato-sensei, Obito acting very much the same way. He was always trying to instigate something with me; I usually just brushed him off as an annoyance. I wonder, if I had been more receptive to his antics, how that would have changed our relationship. Maybe we would have gotten along better, become more of a cohesive unit. T _hen Rin wouldn't have been kidnapped...And I wouldn't have lost my eye and killed Obito..._ I depressingly muse, my mind lost in thought for a moment. I don't want anything like that to happen again. That's why I've been pushing these three to work together, though it has mostly been an exercise in frustration for me. Thanks to the life threatening nature of this particular mission, however, they seem to be slowly bonding more.

"Anyway, it's not like I'm going to be teaching you techniques to fight against Zabuza," I hear a groan from Naruto at this, but I continue speaking. "These moves will help you escape or evade getting caught. It does seem we will have to go over the basics again as well, since those are also required in order for you to learn these techniques," I stare at Naruto as I say this, and the blond shrinks a bit in his seat. His fundamentals were the worst out of anyone in the team, probably due to the the fact that the only teacher in the academy that gave a damn about him was Iruka. I admit this was also my fault as well, guilt 'piercing' me in the chest as I thought this, as I never reached out to the kid during his academy days either. If I had, I wonder, how would he have turned out? Well, that's all in the past now and there's nothing I can do about it. I'll just have to make up for that shortcoming now. I get up from where I was sitting, my legs a bit off balance from sitting cross legged for so long.

"It's too late to start today. Everyone get some well needed rest and I'll call you when I'm done thinking up a lesson plan," I say, the three kids nodding at me as I walk out of the small room we were eating in. I know it's a bit selfish of me, but I do want to check in on Hyakkimaru-san and see how she's doing. She might want to eat about now, if she has regained consciousness. I didn't want Naruto to go because he's very loud and being quite is not one of his strong suits. He'd probably wake her up if she was sleeping. _It's probably best if I go check up on her..._ I tell myself, my feet quietly pounding against the hardwood floor. I find her room quite easily, as I was the person who brought her back from the clinic. The light from the hallway slowly streams into the dark room as I creak the door open. I don't want to turn the light on, as the sudden brightness might wake her up, though it's probably creepier to just stand here in the darkness. I hesitate for a moment, the door closing partway behind me as I walk into the room, my eye slowly adjusting to the lack of light. It's not completely dark, the thin crack of light through the doorway giving me some illumination. I can hear her snoring before I make out where she lay down in the dark room, the soft sound interrupted by a couple heavy snorts of air. Her wheelchair is in the corner of the room, provided to us by the town's clinic. She couldn't move around on her own anymore; not after those injuries. At least for the time being, lest they open up again. The small samurai had been sleeping since I had picked her up. _Seems like she hasn't woken up yet. She must be pretty beat up. Poor thing._ I easily walk over to her prone form, gently crouching down so I can see her better in the dark. Her breathing is normal, going by the rise and fall of her chest, and she doesn't seem to be in any pain. From what I can tell in this darkness at least. Good. My eye scans over her blanket covered body one more time, watching her peaceful sleeping face.

Her brown locks are still covering the majority of her face, her bandages once again changed for fresh ones as they had become messed up during our fight in the marsh. I couldn't make them out underneath the flow of her curls, the right side much longer than her left, as the latter only came up to her forehead. Her hair was still quite short, only coming down to the base of her head in the back, probably the same tangled mess of curls as the front. The fact that she grew it out in such an odd way was probably deliberate. _Must be to cover her bandages so no one asks about them._ I think, making a guess. Of course, you could still see them when her head moved certain ways, but with her usual helmet it wasn't so prominent. It must be annoying to have curious people asking questions about it. I understand that a bit, as quite a few people wonder why I also hide my face. Honestly, it started out as something I just did when I was a kid. The other kids would just stare at me if I didn't wear it, and that got annoying real fast. It made me feel awkward, so I just stated covering my face and they left me alone. Barring some of the more...curious children, like Gai and Anko. Besides, we were ninja, so hiding our identity isn't too surprising. Now it's become a habit; I just don't leave the house without wearing one. Even if I wear normal, everyday clothes, which isn't often, I make sure to cover my face so people don't stare. It's just easier for me to wear the regular Jounin outfit, seeing as I get called out on missions often enough. My eyes wander a little further down, and I notice she isn't wearing her armor or even chainmail. Of course she wouldn't be; the doctor wouldn't be able to treat her wounds otherwise. It's just a regular cloth shirt, from what I can see poking out of the blanket.

I feel my heart start beating faster as I gloss over the two large mounds on her chest. I can't help it; every time she breathes her breasts jiggle up and down. She must not have them wrapped up like she did before, using bandages. She's probably not wearing a bra either, going by the way they're freely jiggling. My face heats up a bit as I remember those boobs pressing up against my chest, her tiny body climbing on top of my unclothed, tied up form. I can still feel her breath tickling my ear as she talked, a cold shiver of excitement going down my spine at the thought. Ah, I better stop. I didn't come here to oogle at her while she was sleeping. My eye stops looking at that particular spot on her body, my curiosity piqued by something else I noticed while staring at her legs. There was that usual wrinkle in the blanket where your legs were supposed to go, however her right side was oddly flat. _Ah, that's right. I remember now. Her right leg was also fake...Just like her arm._ I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I feel someone watching me. My gaze instantly snaps back to her head, which is directly facing me now, her one eye half open as she focused on me. Ah, my mistake...I probably woke her up. I feel a twinge of guilt and embarrassment at this fact, making me hesitate a bit before speaking quietly.

"Er...Uhh...S-sorry for disturbing you. I just wanted to see how you were doing..." I whisper, watching her face for any change in expression that I could notice. It was kind of hard due to the lack of light. She only stared at me, an unreadable expression on her face. I had difficulty in hearing her speak, as her words were partially muffled.

"Hatake-san...? No, it's fine...I would have awoken...sooner or later." Her voice quiet as she tried to repress a yawn or two. I notice that her manner of speech has once again changed, quite different from last night. It's quite formal, like when we were fighting Zabuza. Interesting. I nod, about to stand up as I feel something brush up against me. It was the blanket covering her and the futon, her shoulders shaking as she tried to sit up even a little bit. Her prosthesis wasn't attached to her right arm, leaving her with only her shoulder to use as a balance. I couldn't see her right leg under the blanket, as it was still covered, but I doubt she had that attached either. Her left arm is shaking, her hand clenched as she rose a couple inches out of the futon. I want to try and help her sit up, but I remember the last time I touched her without asking. Oddly enough though, she was fine _touching me_ yesterday. Seems she prefers physical contact when she is the one who initiates it. She drops down back onto the futon, a heavy sigh coming out of her mouth, her eye narrowed as she stares at her right arm, or more accurately, her right shoulder. She attempts to get up again, gritting her teeth as she tries to push herself up off the futon. This also fails, her body dropping onto the mattress once more. A low growl of frustration comes out of her throat, and I stare at her, my voice still low as I speak.

"Do you need help getting up?" She sighs, staring at me for a few seconds before closing her eye. I can't see her face well in the darkness, but I do notice she is flustered slightly, her tone of voice clearly giving this away as she speaks.

"...I-i...hmmm...I s-suppose so. If you could turn the light on, that would probably help..." She mutters, her voice quiet. I nod, easily getting up to move towards the slightly open door. I do catch her whispering to herself, my hearing able to pick it up.

"...Pathetic...Can't even move without help..." I just continue walking toward the door, not wanting her to know that I've heard her. Her tone has changed again, this time less formal and more...familiar. _Probably because she thinks I can't hear her._ I find the light switch easily enough and flick it on, the bright lights dazzling me for a few seconds. Well, we were in the dark for long enough. My sight comes back easily enough, and I walk over to the small woman, who is rubbing her eye.

"Tch...Alright. My good sir, if you could please move the wheelchair closer," Hyakkimaru commands, and I easily locate the device and bring it over to the right of her futon. She stares at it for a few seconds, then attempts to reach out for it with her left hand. So she doesn't want my help on this? I frown, my expression hidden beneath the cloth as I watch her grab the arm of the chair, her small fingers twitching as she tries to use them to pull herself up. The chair doesn't even move, her body just trembling in place. _I can't watch this. It's too much._ I muse, moving in between the two and bending down so I can face her. She only stares at me with a perplexed look on her face, her cheeks slowly flushing as she looks me in the eye.

"W-what? You need not assist me with this." She stutters, her face turning away from me. I chuckle a bit, not out of malice but amusement. I did feel bad about it, but seeing her flustered like this was kind of cute. Her stubbornness was a bit...unnerving though. I understood she wanted to be nonreliant on others, for whatever reason, but it didn't feel right to leave her struggling like this. I tried to keep my tone light as I spoke, not to offend her, but to show I wanted to help.

"You seem to be struggling a bit. Will you let me help you?" She just stares at me, her expression unreadable as I offer out my hand. Albeit reluctantly, I feel her smaller hand wrap around mine, her strong grip contrasting with her tiny frame. Well she did fend off Zabuza, a man about twice her size, even if it was only for a few moments. I gently lift her up off the ground, feeling her stiffen up a bit as I hold her against me for a couple seconds before putting her in the wheelchair. She fits well enough in the seat, though it does look odd to see her without her right leg and arm, and I try to avoid staring. She avoids looking directly at me, her face a bright red as she mutters.

"T-thank you, kind sir." I nod, a smile on my face as I get behind the chair and grip the handles. She must revert to this overly formal way of talking when she's nervous. I play along, wanting to ease some of the tension, and see how she'd react to it as well.

"My pleasure. Now, young miss, if you could please direct me to where you wish to go,"

"Yes...uh..." She hesitates, her head pointing downward to look at her missing leg. I follow her gaze, my ears catching her whisper as she talks to herself.

"...scare them...kinda hungry...tch." She lets out a loud sigh, her head peering up at me with a frowning expression. Her voice is clear when she speaks this time, talking directly to me.

"Hatake-san, have the others finished eating? It should be about dinner time, correct?"

"Ah, yes it is. You must be hungry after having slept for so long. There should be some food left though. Do you want to go eat?" I ask, carefully studying her face as it changes expressions. She looks nervous, almost troubled as she turns her head away from my gaze, her face flushing pink for some reason. Why would she be nervous over that? Her voice shakes a bit as it mumbles out an answer.

"Ah...erm...well, maybe I should wait a bit...s-" Her half-hearted excuse is drowned out by the grumble of her stomach, a loud sound in this silent room. I only watch her face turn an even deeper crimson, Hyakkimaru clearly embarrassed by what just happened. I probably would be too, though it's not like it's her fault. Her body is just telling her it needs food. I try to ignore it, my voice calm despite the smirk spreading across my face.

"You seem famished. You should probably go have supper, don't you think?" I comment, her face quickly returning to its normal complexion soon after. She clears her throat, looking toward her small bag on the floor, my own eye also following after her.

"Y-yes...Before that, however, could you please get my cloak from my bag? Since the doctor said I shouldn't use my prothesis for a while, because they put strain on my body. Thank you," I nod, letting go of the chair and walking over to the small bag. I fumble around for a second, my hands easily locating the dark colored cloth, this one different from the one she usually wears. That one is dirty and in need of repair, along with some of her other clothes. I remind myself to do the same, my torn and dirted uniform also in my bag in my own room. I also see her false arm in the bag, my fingers brushing up against the odd material as I grab the cloak. It feels sort of metallic, though it can't weigh too much, else she wouldn't be able to use it. Or maybe she's stronger than I thought...I ignore the questions floating around in my head, knowing that she wouldn't answer me if I asked. She seems to be guarded about a lot of things. I walk back with the garment in hand, being careful not to drag it across the floor as I present it to her. She nods, her fingers brushing against mine as she takes the cloak from me, making my heart race a bit. Why does she do this to me? I don't understand. It didn't happen when we were fighting Zabuza or the two mist ninja. Why now? I ignore these thoughts tumbling around in my head, watching as the small woman attempts to wrap the cloak around herself. It only covers her halfway, the thing draping itself over her left side, the rest of it falling onto the side of the chair. I understand what she is trying to do and deftly grab the cloak while moving behind her. Standing behind her, I easily fasten the garment so it covers her whole body. I feel my pulse quicken as my fingers touch her neck, going around her collarbone, her skin there slightly rough on the right side. I could feel more of the same odd stitches on her neck, a couple of them going up to her chin. I let go quickly after tying a small knot into the cloak so it doesn't fall off, my cheeks blushing a bit for no real reason.

"Thank you," She says, my hands gripping the handles of the wheelchair. I begin wheeling her out of the room, using one of my hands to open the door and move us out into the hallway. The only sound is the wheels rolling against the floor and my feet as I walk, both of us strangely silent. We continue like this for a while until we finally reach the dining room, the others staring at us as soon as we appear. Their gazes are intense, even though they aren't focused on me, but the samurai, who only stares straight ahead. It's not like they are filled with malice or killing intent, just pure curiosity and wonder. It must be a bit stifling to her, as she is reluctant to stare anywhere except for straight ahead. She must be trying to ignore it. Most of the others follow suit, going back to what hey were doing, Tsunami-san being kind enough to walk up to the two of us. Her voice was gentle when she spoke.

"Samurai-sama, are you feeling better? You must be hungry; would you like to eat?" Hyakkimaru only stutters out a response, her face turning pink as she responds.

"I-if it's not too much trouble...whatever you have...will be fine. S-sorry for inconveniencing you, ma'am." Tsunami-san only giggles, a light sound, as she walks to the kitchen counter. She effortlessly makes a plate of food setting it down at the table. I easily wheel her over, putting her at my former spot, as it was the only empty space in the small table. I watch the wheelchair bound woman attempt to reach for the plate of steaming food, her left arm poking out of the black cloak. Despite being right against the table, her arm is still too short to reach the food, pitifully drooping a couple inches from the plate. I hear the chair make a couple squeaking sounds in protest as the woman tries to reposition herself in the seat, being careful not to show off her missing limbs under the cloak. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Sakura slowly edging closer to us, her face wearing a worried look as she watches the samurai once more attempt to reach for the dish and fail. Inari and Naruto are also staring, Sasuke being a bit more discreet about his curiosity as Hyakkimaru turns her head Sakura's way. She is flustered again, a blush staining her cheeks as she watches Sakura sit right next to her. Her tone is slightly harsh as she berates the girl, though it was from embarrassment than anything else.

"What? Sakura-san, I don't need help with this. I mean, I can at least eat on my own, you know? Besides..." She abruptly stops speaking, her face looking away from Sakura as she mutters something supposedly to herself. I can't make all of it out, but what I do hear catches me off guard a bit.

"...him...instead..." Him? _Does she want me to...feed her?_ I ponder, trying to ignore the flush of heat pouring into my cheeks. I must be imagining things. Not that I would mind doing so, seeing as it was partially my fault she ended up this way. It was the least I could do, though I wondered if she had any ulterior motives, my mind thinking back to our earlier encounter. She had the upper hand then, but maybe I could turn the tables a bit now. I just stand there for a few seconds, wondering if it was worth letting her know I could hear her mutterings. I notice Sakura shake her head out of the corner of my eye, her expression still worried as she speaks. Her tone is calm, sort of like explaining something to a child.

"I understand, Hyakkimaru-san, but I just want to help you out. You seem to be struggling, and all of us are concerned."

The brown haired woman only nods, her voice quiet as she mumbles out an apology.

"Sorry, Sakura-san. I just...don't like being seen as...lesser, I suppose, because of my handicap." She explains, her face a bit depressed as she looks at the food. _There has to be more to this story._ I muse, slightly curious and yet understanding. If she doesn't want to tell us anything, she doesn't have to. At least she gave us that much, which is understandable. She doesn't seem very used to people, hence the distant and formal persona. This is the closest we've seen to 'normal' yet. She seems slightly more open now that she has to receive help. I let go of the chair, walking towards her left side, her eye watching me as I crouch down once again to be closer to her eye level. She just stares at me quizzically, my face breaking into a smile, even though no one can see it. I want her to understand that she can rely on us. She seems to trust me at least a small bit.

"No one is going to think less of you because of your...circumstances. Everyone has their own handicap, visible or not." I say, my voice firm despite its light hearted tone. She only nods at this, her cheeks turning pink as she mutters.

"You say that...But it's frustrating..." Her gaze is downcast as she averts her eye. It's a few seconds before she makes eye contact with me again, her brown eye wavering a bit before focusing on me. I can sense a quiet determination in that single eye, much like when we fought Zabuza. Is there something about this that she finds comforting? Just staring at each other like this, feels calming to her? I feel a bit nervous and confused at my own suggestion. It's not like I'm doing anything in particular, and it makes me self-conscious to think that someone could find my presence this calming. I mean, sure my students do, but that's because I'm their teacher. They should look up to me; not someone I barely know that well. Aside from our recent interactions on this mission, and when we met in the village before that, we really don't know each other that well. Yet, I admit I feel oddly...comfortable around her. Was it because of last night? Usually something like that would put distance between people. I don't know. I really don't know what to think right now. I just focus on watching her movements, searching for any subtle clues in her body language. Her eye breaks contact with my own to stare at the plate of food, which is thankfully still quite warm. It's not like she could have eaten it right away, unless she wanted to burn her mouth. I also look at it, gently lifting it off of the table and holding it in front of her.

"I want to help, if you'll let me. You should start eating before it gets cold," I comment, her face turning beet red as she understands. She stutters out a response, her eye looking away from me.

"Fine. I don't want to subject you to doing something so...humiliating...I'll accept it just because you offered." Sakura only looks at Hyakkimaru, her green eyes narrowing as a mischievous smirk comes over her face. _What's with that look? Does she know something I don't?_

"Right. Seems Kakashi-sensei has this covered, so I'll go help Tsunami-san clean up. Excuse me." She gets up and leaves, walking over to the kitchen counter where the young woman is washing dishes. By this time, Naruto is also helping out, a couple shadow clones putting away the clean dish ware according to Tsunami's instructions. He must feel bad about the mess he made earlier. I don't notice Sasuke anywhere; the only one at the table was Tazuna. He's too busy drinking his alcohol to care about us, so we both ignore him. I grab some food off of the plate using a fork and carefully bring it in front of her face, her mouth opening slowly to eat it. She chews it and swallows, her face turning red as I move to place more food on the fork. Noting this, I stop partway, my expression neutral as I watch her speak.

"This is...so embarrassing..." I chuckle at her reaction, her eyes narrowing a bit as she stares me down.

"Sorry, sorry. Your reaction...Anyway, it's not like you can feed yourself right now, can you?" I respond, her mouth closing into a tight line. I guide the food toward her mouth once more, a devious thought coming to my mind as I watch her mouth open a bit. I wait until she is done swallowing the food, moving closer as I watch her eye widen in surprise as our noses almost touch. I ignore the pounding of my heart in my chest, trying my best to stay calm and composed as I whisper into her ear. My voice is odd sounding even to me, a smooth, deep rumble as I try to sound as seductive as possible. I'm just trying to make her understand how I felt last night, when she embarrassed me.

"...I heard you, before. Some part of you is enjoying this, isn't it?" Her reaction then surprises me. She does pause for a bit, her mouth open in a mix of embarrassment and horror, but it closes just as quickly, replaced by a smirk.

"I could say the same thing about you. Seems like we both enjoy teasing," She responds, her voice whispering into my own ear. I feel my face heat up at that remark, my mind remembering vividly what happened. My composure is lost momentarily, and I can feel my heart rise up in my throat, blocking any comeback I had planned. She was probably right about that one. I slowly back away, praying that my face isn't beet red, or at least enough so that anyone would notice. I take a couple deep breaths, realizing that Hyakkimaru has also composed herself by this time, and I gather more food for her. We continue like this in an awkward silence, aside from the sound of her chewing, not really sure what to say to one another after that exchange. Maybe it's better that we don't. It only takes a few more mouthfuls before the plate is cleaned, the small woman's face now less pale than before as she beams slightly. AT least she ate it all.

"...Tell Tsunami-san thanks if you don't mind..." She mutters, her voice soft as I realize she is probably still tired. Her hunger could only keep her awake for so long; now that that was gone, her body needed sleep. I nod, getting up from my spot next to her and positioning myself behind the handlebars of the wheelchair. Being careful not to disturb her too much, I easily walk her back to her room, the only sound once again her soft breathing and my footsteps. The door slowly opens as I gently push it, my hand easily finding the light switch and turning it on. It only takes me a second to move the chair next to her futon, my heart racing against my chest as I pick her up, taking off the cloak as I do so and carefully set her down on the tiny bed. I put the chair back in its place next to her bag, putting the black cloak in it as well. I can only watch as her breathing become more steady, the familiar snoring sound once again coming out of her mouth. _It's kind of cute._ I think as I gently put the blanket back over her sleeping form, my hands being careful not to go anywhere they shouldn't. I do run my fingers through her hair, though, enjoying it as I feel her soft locks as I touch her skin on the right side of her face. It's difficult through the bandages, but I can tell that her skin there is a bit rough, and a little scarred. I let go after feeling her move a bit, her body shaking a bit as a small moan escapes her mouth. I've sated my curiosity. I carefully leave the room, turning off the light before I shut the door quietly.

"Good night."


	5. Ch 5 WIP

**A/N: I think disabled people deserve love too...which is what I'm often trying to portray with my romance stuff. So it might be different from most other people's because I 'see' the world and understand people quite differently than most. Like with this fic I'm focusing more on the sensation of touch, inner feelings, and subtle movements since those are important to notice. Also Kakashi is a perceptive character, so I figured he would work well as the MC. Also wanted to try writing new things that I haven't done before(you know the scenes). Not too used to doing first person yet. I still hope you can enjoy my work. Support is always nice.**

"Are you sure you don't think you need this anymore?" I ask, my gaze fixed on the woman using crutches in front of me. The small woman nods, her gaze determined as she looks at the wheelchair she was being pushed around in only a few days prior. She takes a few unsteady steps using the single crutch, her foot barely reaching the floor due to the extra elevation, attempting to walk to the door of her room. Upon making it to the door, she lets out a small sigh, as I noticed her show a frustrated expression before an odd smile painted her face. It looked faked, her eyes wavering a bit as she stares at me, her tone light as she speaks.

"Yeah, I think I can handle this. This really isn't that much of a big deal. I'm fine! I'll probably be out of these crutches before the middle of the week," she boasts, pumping her good fist at me. Her arm slips out of the hold from that small jerk, the crutch she was using slipping out of her hand, her small body wobbling as it falls to the floor. I feel shock pulse through me for a moment, my heart rate increasing as I feel it pound against my chest. _I told her to be careful..._ It hasn't been too long since she traded the wheelchair for the crutches; she just started using them today really. Her wounds have healed to the point where she can be up and about, but that doesn't mean she can be so reckless. I move to grab her hand, seeing as I'm only a few steps away, but my reach falls short and I barely manage to graze the tips of her fingers. She must be smaller than I thought she was. I was sure I made it...I wince as I hear her body make a dull thud on the floor, the wooden crutch clattering beside it as I crouch down next to the small figure. Her body is sprawled on the floor, her cheeks slightly red as she locks onto me. I am a bit uncomfortable as I feel her eye bore into my own, making me self conscious as my own face also turns a slight shade of pink. Why? Nothing really happened...She only makes a small laugh in response, the sound somewhat strained.

"Ah...That was embarrassing...I might not be ready for this yet, then. Tch." She complains, her fingers drumming against the wooden floor. I watch her arm bend slightly, her fingers pushing against the wood in an attempt to stand herself upright. It doesn't work, her small frame just quivering as she lets out a harsh sigh. Her head shakily rises up to meet mine, due to the lack of any real support, and our eyes meet. I feel my heart race again, any teasing comment I had planned to utter stuck in my throat. Why am I so flustered? I attempt to ignore the odd feelings in my gut and slowly move my hand closer to hers. I watch her eye as I do so, which is just focused on me, giving me the go ahead. I feel her fingers start to wrap around my own, through no action on my part, her small digits tugging at my wrist as a makeshift fulcrum to pull herself upright. She stands up easily enough, the only sign of her struggle being her unkempt hair and flustered cheeks. The small woman nearly leans against me as she straightens herself out, grabbing the wooden crutch as she does so. I feel my own face flush at the brief contact, though she easily moves away from me and toward the door on her own. I'm a bit surprised at how she was able to recover so quickly, yet what I can see of her reddening ears through the thick mass of curls suggests otherwise.

"Thanks..." I hear her mutter quietly, her voice nearly drowned out by the clank of the doorknob as she attempts to open it for a few seconds, the wooden crutch impeding her ability to move her hand. She moves aside a moment later, her face turning even redder than before as she avoids looking at me.

"I can't..." She struggles to say, her voice slightly harder for me to hear this time because she is facing the floor. A cruel idea comes to my mind at the moment, a sudden flash of inspiration as I walk in front of her. _No...I shouldn't..._ I muse, a small smirk on my face as I speak. Although I do want to get back at her for before, my face turning red from remembering. I calm myself, then turn to face her.

"Hm? What did you say? I couldn't hear you," I half-tease, causing her to sigh and raise her head. I feel my heart start pounding intensely against my chest as Hyakkimaru's flustered gaze meets mine. Seeing her so flustered like this is adorable. Though I do feel a bit bad about it, considering she has a sort of complex about this it seems. Still, it was true I didn't catch all of what she said. I admit part of it was my own desire to see that calm facade of hers crack a bit...

"I said...I can't open the door..." She mutters softly, her eye avoiding mine as she looks anywhere but in my direction. I feel a small smirk on my face as I answer.

"Do you need my help? I won't know unless you tell me, you know." I clearly state, honestly serious this time. Hyakkimaru's only response is to take a deep breath, her face slowly losing its red tinge as she did so.

"Yes, unfortunately. I cannot seem to...get the door o-open on my own. I require some assistance in this, if you would not mind Hatake-san." Her voice is more firm now, though still quiet as she returns to her more guarded way of speaking. I do feel a lurch in my stomach at being called by my last name, so I turn to her as I open the door, my gaze serious.

"Y'know, you don't have to be so formal around me. I'd prefer to be called by my first name as well, if you don't mind." I calmly state, stopping her from going out of the room by leaning against it. She doesn't respond for a few seconds, leaving us in an awkward silence.

"V-very well. I just feel it would be inappropriate to do so; considering your status and all..." She trails off a bit, leaving me confused and with questions on the tip of my tongue. _Status? Could she be referring to that nickname Zabuza used? I mean, I suppose my moniker might be well known; I've never been one to care much for such things..._ I ponder, curiosity prompting me to ask.

"Hmm? You mean that nickname Zabuza addressed me with? I suppose you could say I'm well known in the ninja community. That doesn't matter to me, though...I'd rather we speak to each other as equals. It'd just make things easier, but if you'd rather not..." I attempt to explain, trying to get my point across.

"I-I get it...I just...hmm...It makes me feel...odd, addressing you so casually all of a sudden. Can't explain it really..." She admits while shrugging her shoulders, causing me to stare at her in confusion. What's so hard about it? Maybe she's not used to being around people for an extended period of time. Considering her actions a few days ago, it seems like she just uses that polite front in order to distance herself from people. Not that I blame her for it; everyone has sides of themselves they'd rather not show to people. Especially people they've just met. I understand that, my face flushing a bit as I recall some of our encounters. She was quite a different person then, more aggressive and controlling compared to herself now. She seems to have trouble with one on one interaction, or just certain social situations. Then again, that could have also been an act, in response to the situation. No one would take something like that lying down; myself included, which made me feel all the more horrible for succumbing to that odd urge of curiosity.

"Maybe you'd feel better about it if you did it more. Try it; just try addressing me by my first name." I command, causing her to stare up at me for a moment. I can see confusion in her good eye, along with something else.

"...A-alright...This feels so weird though..."

"The sooner you do it, the better you'll feel about it. Then we can leave," I half remind myself, considering I had said I'd start training the kids today. Now that she was mobile, it was probably best to leave her to her own devices. I did still feel a bit worried; today not helping that feeling much after this small incident.

"We should get going then, Hata--erm...Ka-Kakashi-sensei. Aack!" She notices her slip of the tongue, her face reddening again as she does so. I also feel odd at hearing my name said like that, wrong suffix or no. It was also a bit amusing for her to slip up like that. Teacher hmm? _Maybe I could take on another student, just for a little while._ I internally joke, ignoring the flush of heat that was rising to my face suddenly. I try to play it off coolly, not wanting her to see how flustered I am.

"Well... that was close. Almost. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it eventually." I chuckle, holding open the door and moving out of her way she so can move. Hyakkimaru just makes an odd noise with her mouth as she leaves the room. _Cute._

Now then, the purpose of this exercise is to fine tune you all on the basics. I know you already covered this while in the academy, however..." I stop speaking, my gaze shifting to Naruto as I do so. He shudders a bit under my stare, then his eyes narrow in frustration. I understand he wants to learn new things, but the main reason I am doing this training is for him. If he can't control his chakra properly, then it would be a detriment to us all down the line. Sasuke just scoffs, his usual scowl in display while Sakura just listens patiently. At least those two aren't giving me any trouble about it. I do notice some movement out of the corner of my eye, a small sigh escaping my lips as I glare at the small samurai. She only stares at me, her face determined as she hobbles past me up to one of the trees.

"Basically, if you three can't get higher than a cripple like me, you have no right to be calling yourselves ninja," She explains, her words making me turn to face her. _Idiot. What are you trying to prove here? This will only end badly, I'm sure._ I reason, one of my hands reaching out to grab her by the shoulder. I didn't doubt her ability to do the exercise; any genin level ninja or higher should be able to do it no problem. She's shown that much skill, at least. Her...situation, however, makes things more complicated. I notice my hand is gripping onto nothing, Hyakkimaru already ascending the tree with her one leg. We just stare at her as she half-hops, half-walks up the tree trunk, her good leg barely swaying with each movement. _It is an odd method of walking up the tree, but I suppose it is valid..._ She doesn't even need to have a running start, her foot easily distributing chakra through the tree to stay upright. She glares at me from her position atop the tree, continuing to walk quite far up until I lose sight of her in the branches and leaves.

"So, I assume...you were going to warn me about doing...this with my...'condition'? I'll have you know chakra control is...one of the very few things I excel in," The samurai shouts, her voice firm and filled with an undercurrent of anger. Something about the way she says those words causes me to think. _'Few things she excels in', huh? I don't like how that was said._ I think, an odd heaviness forming in my stomach at her words. Seems she's doing well enough climbing the tree, going by what I can tell.

"There." I hear her say, the sound of wood scraping following her words only a moment later. I hear her heavy footstep as the leaves shake and rustle from her movement. She easily hops down from the trunk, her balance a bit unsteady as she tries to right herself. The four of us are looking at her in wonder, her expression stern as she turns to face us. Naruto and Sasuke especially are awed by her feat, the latter's eyes focused on the small woman. I suppose his respect for her just went up after that. Sasuke always was one who only respected people he felt were worth his time. Sakura walks up to the small samurai, her expression quite different from the two boys and similar to my own.

"What was that for? You're hurt; why do something so stupid?" The samurai sighs, attempting to push back her bangs with her hand. It fails, the long curls covering her bandaged right eye still a mess.

"To motivate you. Well, I admit I was also curious if I could do it in my current condition. That wasn't too bad of an attempt...but I can probably do much better." She explains, attempting to push past the pink haired girl. I walk to stand beside Sakura, Hyakkimaru's response angering me slightly. I wasn't exactly mad or anything, but that was dumb of her to do. Her wounds still could reopen, and we don't need that worry right now. I regret letting her follow me to the clearing. She really should be resting. I attempt to state as much, my tone firm as I put a hand on her shoulder. She stiffens at my touch, her muscles becoming taut as they tense up from the sudden contact.

"Alright. You've given them a goal to work towards. I'm still their teacher, not you. Please don't interfere in my teaching methods. Besides, you're still quite unwell. Pushing yourself like this is only going to hurt you in the long run." I explain, her head turning my way as she attempts to listen. I notice that Sakura has left us alone, Naruto and Sasuke already attempting to climb the trees on their own. We watch them try and fail for a few moments, making sure that they are not too intent on listening to us. A small sigh escapes her throat, a flicker of something going across her face before it returns to its usual neutral position. Was she annoyed with me? It should be the other way around I think.

"...I mean, if they can't keep up with a disabled cripple, how the hell are they going to be ready for facing someone like Zabuza or even less tougher enemies? Besides, someone like me..." She tries to continue speaking, but her repeated use of the word 'cripple' has got my attention. I notice an odd sinking feeling in my stomach every time she refers to herself with similar adjectives. I stop her rant by placing a couple of my fingers to her lips, my heart pounding a bit as I feel her breath on my skin before I take them back. I narrow my eye as I push her along with my other hand, figuring that this discussion should continue on in private. I easily guide her along to a secluded part of the glade, not too far away from my students, yet not so close as they could easily overhear us. Using my other hand, I quickly turn her to face me, staring her straight in the eye.

"Are you alright? You've seemed out of it, these past couple days..." I start, genuine concern prompting me to ask the question. Her eyes widens for a moment with something like shock, then avoids my gaze, deep in thought. I wait a few seconds before feeling stare on me again, her eye narrowed as her mouth turns into a slight frown.

"I'm fine, thank you. I'll heal up from this eventually. I've been through worse, believe me..." Her voice trails off, then rises in volume as she speaks up again.

"We've only been acquainted for the past few days. Why do you even care...? After this...business is over, we'll have nothing to do with one another, yes? Heck, I may even become an enemy of yours along the line, knowing how my jobs go..." I feel a twinge of sadness in her voice as she says this, her anger trying to mask it.


End file.
